And … we’re back! School started up for DCPS students this past Tuesday; students in Montgomery County will return on Monday and Fairfax County schools open their doors in early September. While the start of September certainly can be invigorating, getting ready for that first day of school can be a real challenge for low-income students and their families.

Ready to help a student in your neighborhood with their back-to-school shopping? Check out just a few of our non-profits who are working to ensure that all kids are ready for class — with books, backpacks, and warm coats. Simply click “DONATE” on the organization’s page to help fund a Wish List item:

Greenbrier Learning Center (Arlington, VA)

$100: 1 year of school supplies for a child

serves low-income, immigrant children, 66% of whom qualify for special services as English language learners or because of learning or behavioral concerns

Neediest Kids (McLean, VA)

$100: backpacks & school supplies for 5 students; $500: eye exams & glasses for 5 students

donates thousands of dollars in clothing, services, and direct payments to meet the urgent requirements of over 12,000 of the region’s neediest, at-risk school-children

Black Student Fund (Washington, DC)

$100: textbook, graphing calculator, or new contact lenses

provides assistance in the often-difficult admissions and financial aid application process, and access to scholarships and grants, to make independent schools accessible

For Love of Children (Washington, DC)

$100: a year of curriculum and school supplies for 1 tutee

opens opportunities for hundreds of children and teens, most from the Shaw/Columbia Heights neighborhood, offering carefully paced, one-on-one tutoring

Latino Student Fund (Washington, DC)

$100: math skills workbooks for 8 children

provides financial aid, educational support, and mentoring through its Scholars Program, helping students attend, and thrive in, independent and parochial schools

Horton’s Kids (Washington, DC)

$85: 1 pair of glasses to help a child see the board; $300: 1 dental cleaning & cavity filling

works to resolve obstacles for children in Ward 8, from hunger to lack of adequate clothing, so they can focus on serious, structured tutoring in math and reading

New Community for Children (Washington, DC)

$1000: school supplies for 150 elementary students for 1 semester

offers engaging, hands-on learning experiences in math, reading, writing, arts, and science for K-4th graders, and after-school workshops for older youth