By Sarah Ruppenthal
The 2023-24 academic year is right around the corner, which means the back-to-school shopping season is nearly upon us.
As they head back to the classroom, students in all grade levels will need basic supplies like pencils, paper, and notebooks. However, many parents can’t afford these items and students often go without. Their teachers do what they can to help: According to a recent U.S. Department of Education survey, 94 percent of teachers reported spending their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement.
That’s why Coldwell Banker Island Properties agents across Maui will be collecting school supplies this month through the Coldwell Banker Island Properties Foundation’s Back to School Supply Drive benefiting the Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation (RAMCF) Wishing Well… for Maui Students program.
This is the first time the Coldwell Banker Island Properties Foundation has held a school supply drive for the Wishing Well program. Established in March of this year, the Foundation’s mission is to “empower individuals and island communities by supporting community development, housing attainability, and environmental preservation” and to create “a better Hawaii today and always.” On Maui, the Foundation has hosted food drives for the Maui Food Bank, several shoreline cleanups, and this month’s school supply drive. It has also raised funds for worthy causes and organizations across the state, with every dollar raised on Maui remaining on Maui.
The Wishing Well… for Maui Students (or “Wishing Well” for short) is a program of the RAMCF, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For the past 16 years, the program has donated countless goods, supplies and services to schools countywide. Run by volunteer RAM members, the Wishing Well program covers every public school on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, along with Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers, a nonprofit that shelters students in different grade levels at its Wailuku and Lahaina facilities.
From now until Wednesday, July 26, donors can drop off school supplies during business hours at Coldwell Banker Island Properties’ offices in Kapalua, Kahului, Kihei, Paia and Wailea.
Realtors Association of Maui members Amanda Franta and Bob Cella pose with some of the donations collected through the Coldwell Banker Island Properties Foundation Back to School Supply Drive for the Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation Wishing Well… for Maui Students program. The school supply drive runs through July 26.
Photo courtesy Coldwell Banker Island Properties Foundation
The most-wished-for items include composition notebooks, Crayola markers, No. 2 pencils, mechanical pencils, sheet protectors, colored pencils, dry erase pens, erasers, highlighters, ballpoint pens, construction paper, art supplies, playground balls (basketball, soccer, volleyball, and rubber balls), protractors, compasses, pedestal-style floor fans, glue sticks, electric and handheld pencil sharpeners, staplers, and sticky notes of all sizes.
For more information about the Wishing Well… for Maui Students program, call (808) 283-3969 or visit www.ILoveMauiSchools.com, where you can make a PayPal or credit card donation. (Please note that the donation is for the Wishing Well program.) To learn more about the Coldwell Banker Island Properties Foundation or to inquire about donor opportunities or upcoming community service projects, visit foundation.islandproperties.com.
Realtor means a member of the National Association of Realtors. Do you know a Realtors Association of Maui member who should be recognized for their contributions to the community? If so, send your story idea to Sarah Ruppenthal at missruppenthal@gmail.com.