Smart Start

JET LINX ST. LOUIS HOSTS KIDSMART FOR THEIR ANNUAL EVENT, BACK TO SCHOOL WITH JOE & MICHELLE BUCK!

On a rainy day in late June of 2019, more than 200 teachers in St. Louis were parked in their cars waiting for the KidSmart Pop Up Shop to open. Despite a downpour of rain and the fact that classes were not in session, the teachers still lined up – eager to receive boxes filled with hundreds of school supplies provided by donors and volunteers at KidSmart. The teachers walked briskly to the mobile donation center and back to their vehicles, careful not to ruin their new supplies in the torrents of rain, each educator making the dash with a joyful smile on their face.

But why would teachers wait happily in a summer rainstorm for a bag of supplies? Because 90,000 children in St. Louis cannot afford the most basic school supplies. Teachers all across the country dip into their own paychecks to provide for students in their classrooms. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 94% of public-school teachers bought school supplies that they were not reimbursed for. The annual average amount spent per teacher was $479.

Luckily, teachers in St. Louis can rely on an organization called KidSmart, which provides free school supplies to students and teachers at 161 qualifying area schools. The mission of KidSmart is simple but powerful: to empower children in need to succeed by providing free essential tools for learning. Armed with the belief that education eradicates poverty, the volunteers and employees at KidSmart provide an effective means for impoverished children to chase their dreams.

“At some schools we know that children are doing homework on paper towels. These children want to succeed, but many don’t even have the basic tools to access education,” said Jill Laux, Director of Charitable Giving at KidSmart. “We don’t only supply the necessary tools for learning, we provide these children the confidence to succeed.”

A local St. Louis educator was inspired to create KidSmart after learning about an organization called A Gift for Teaching based in Orlando. Since creating KidSmart, the company has orchestrated the distribution of $60 million in school supplies to children and teachers in St. Louis and the surrounding areas. The organization is the only free supplier of educational materials in Missouri.

When asked what it felt like to take the leap from teacher to President and CEO, KidSmart’s founder Jennifer Miller admitted she had little business experience. “The first two years I really felt like a hamster on a wheel. But as a former teacher, I think I was actually well-prepared for the business world. Educators really are entrepreneurs. You manage your classroom, you do a lot of strategic planning, you manage a budget, you manage expectations, and you have to be creative. Although I had no background in business, there’s a ton of crossover that allowed me to build KidSmart.”

“KidSmart is built on a community-wide collaboration. We absolutely need involved people like Rich Ropp (Jet Linx St. Louis Base President) and companies like Jet Linx who help. We have 90,000 kids in St. Louis that are living in poverty.” Miller paused and reiterated, “That’s enough to fill Busch Stadium two times over. It’s mind-boggling to sit at a baseball game and think about the number of children who need help.”

As of 2019, KidSmart equips 10,000 children with free school supplies each week and donates an estimated $38,000 worth of supplies on a daily basis. Distribution of free school supplies has proven to be effective on the well-being of children. According to the Kids in Need Foundation, a KidSmart national partner, there is a 75% increase in self-esteem associated when students have access to quality school supplies.

The average cost to equip a child with supplies for back to school is $100. To a low-income family with parents working multiple jobs and no access to transportation, school supplies are simply not a reality. “I’ve seen how unhappy kids are when they come to school without supplies. Self-esteem is such a huge part of success. For kids to feel defeated before they enter the classroom, that’s a tragedy and a missed opportunity for our youth,” Laux explained. “We don’t want any child to have that obstacle to learning. With adequate supplies they may focus on being kids, focus on learning, and doing their personal best to learn and succeed.”

KidSmart has a magical ability to stretch donations by five times their original value. “A $5 donation can be leveraged into $25 in supplies distributed. The return on investment that KidSmart can provide is made possible by corporate partnerships, grants, and donations from individuals. More than 100 local businesses host internal back-to-school supply drives, and that brings in truckloads of supplies for the kids we serve.” KidSmart also has connections with national partners, through the Kids in Need Foundation, such as Scholastic Books, Ticonderoga Pencils, and Joann Fabric stores, to also help equip kids in St. Louis and across the country. “Plus, we are very fortunate to be able to rely on a small army of volunteers for help with distribution,” Laux noted.

Michelle Beisner Buck and Joe Buck (center), pictured with Jet Linx St. Louis Base President Rich Ropp and wife Melissa.