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Helping Beat the High Cost of Education

  • MAUREEN PIERCE & SUSAN CAHILL

Many major companies have recognized the importance and benefits of supporting education.


Many major companies have recognized the importance and benefits of supporting education. Several have set up partnerships with schools wherein their customers are encouraged to choose the schools that will receive assistance. The funds and equipment awarded to schools through these partnerships benefit a variety of Programs, from sports to science, and the area of need is usually at the discretion of the schools principal.

I use the money from the General Mills box tops to fund my office all year, says Catherine Miller, the school nurse at Most Holy Trinity Elementary school in Phoenix, Ariz.

She collects the box tops herself from school families and parishioners in order to make sure she has enough first-aid supplies to last the school year. If the school of your choice isnt already involved in one or more of the following, perhaps you could volunteer to enroll them.


10 Ways to Help Your Catholic School

Campbells Labels for Education

Collect labels from Campbells, Pepperidge Farm, V8, Franco-American, Prego and Swansons, then send them to a Catholic school. Free computer software, sports equipment, reference materials and more.

General Mills Box Tops for Education

Collect proofs-of-purchase from General Mills cereals and treats and send them to a Catholic school. Cash value of ten cents per proof-of-purchase.

Grocery Store Receipt Programs

Ask a grocery store you frequent if they participate in such a program or ask the Catholic school you plan to support if they are involved in such a program; save store receipts and send them to a Catholic school. Often a 1% rebate is given to the school.

Albertsons Community Partners

Obtain a card from a Catholic school that designates that school as the recipient of Community Partners awards and show it to the cashier when you check out. A 2% rebate is given to the school (this award is not only for schools; it can be used to help support non-profit organizations as well).

Target Guest Card, Take Charge of Education

Call 1-800-316-6142 for details and to request an appli­cation or designate a school on your existing account. Minimum of 1% rebate to school.

OfficeMax: MaxPerks

Call your school to see if they have obtained a MaxPerks code and give that code to the cashier each time you shop there. Minimum of 1% rebate to school after a minimum purchase requirement of $300 per quarter is met (this is a frequent-shopper program that some charities have found a way to use wisely).

Corporate volunteering

Many large companies award grants to the organizations where their people choose to volunteer; call your employee-relations office to find out whether or not your company has such a program.

schoolcash.com

If youre going to shop online anyway, check to see if your school is registered, get their code, click and shop; the store you want might be here.From 3% to 10% rebates are common.

www.schoolpop.com

Another cyber-shopping mall; choose your school and shop. School may get a penny every time you search the Web through their site.

Keep your eyes peeled for new programs!

Let your schools administration know youre on the lookout and offer to sign them up if you find a new program.

This is Meaghen Gonzalez, Editor of CERC. I hope you appreciated this piece. We curate these articles especially for believers like you.

Please show your appreciation by making a $3 donation. CERC is entirely reader supported.

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Acknowledgement

Maureen Pierce and Susan Cahill. Helping Beat the High Cost of Education. National Catholic Register. (January 23-19, 2000).

Reprinted by permission of the National Catholic Register. To subscribe to the National Catholic Register call 1-800-421-3230.

The Author

Maureen Pierce and Susan Cahill write from Phoenix, Arizona.

Copyright © 2000 National Catholic Register