By NICOLA M. WHITE The Tampa Tribune
Published: Aug 13, 2007
WESLEY CHAPEL - By themselves, pencils, notebooks and calculators might not seem like big expenses. But when you add them all up, you could be talking about $100 per student.
Many parents, especially those with more than one child in school, just can't afford that.
At Wesley Chapel Elementary School on Saturday morning, parents got a hand up from dozens of volunteers who have spent the past few months amassing hundreds of donated notebooks, markers, loose-leaf binders and backpacks to give local families.
For the Biancos of Wesley Chapel, the giveaway was a needed break. In the past year, dad Richard Bianco has battled brain cancer. Mom Windy has been taking care of him and had to quit her job.
Normally, they wouldn't seek out donated school supplies, but this year backpacks and highlighters were too much for the family's stretched-thin budget.
"We didn't have a choice this year, unfortunately," Windy Bianco said. "It's a definite rough spot."
Saturday morning, the Biancos filled two backpacks with school supplies. They smiled as volunteers helped them navigate the tables filled with brand-new pencils, highlighters and Elmer's glue.
About 500 students received school supplies this year. The children came from east and central Pasco County, said organizer Bob Loring, who also organizes the annual Toys for Tots drive during the holidays.
"They need more than just toys at Christmastime," Loring said Saturday.
Many of the families who received school supplies Saturday also participated in the Toys for Tots program. Those families are selected through local schools.
