It's not easy being a kid.

Especially when the new school year begins.

Not only is there a humongous list of back-to-school supplies, but they have to be the "right" supplies, too.

The right color, the right brand, the right stuff.

Anything else is unacceptable.

Fortunately, there are the St. Olaf Can-Do kids and a generous St. Olaf Lutheran Church congregation.

Fortunately, they can ignore the insanity of impulse buying and rationalize that necessities take precedence.

Needy children in Austin public and parochial schools will be the beneficiaries.

In only its second year, the Can-Do School Supply mission project at St. Olaf Lutheran Church was a huge success.

"More than $4,000 in school supplies will be distributed to Austin schools this week," announced Jann Schroeder, coordinator of youth education at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin.

According to Schroeder, the mission project is an organized effort of St. Olaf congregation to "reach out with Christ's love and compassion to meet the needs of our community."

Last Sunday, the results of the project were unveiled to the congregation at morning worship services. The items filled shopping carts donated for the project by HyVee Food Store of Austin to over-flowing.

The supplies were then displayed in the Alma Murray Room at the church, where members and guests visit for coffee and fellowship following Sunday morning worship services.

The sight was impressive.

Erasers, glue sticks, book bags, correcting pencils, accordion-style

folders, red , blue and black pens, protractors, boxes of tissues, pencils, scissors, lunch bags, markets, pencil pouches and boxes, colored pencils, pencil grips, rulers, Crayons and "jumbo" Crayons, notebook paper, notebooks, pencil sharpeners, pocket folders and Ellis Middle School student agendas.

By the numbers, the Can-Do Kids' effort as well as other St. Olaf members' generosity multiples quickly.

Think about this:

2,899 erasers, 595 red pens, 560 blue pens and 545 black pens, 2,832 pencils, 501 packs of notebook paper, 4,704 Crayons, 787 notebooks.

Val Cipra;, a kindergarten teacher at Southgate Elementary School, praises the St. Olaf effort. "It's a wonderful program" said Cipra. "We will giveaway items to the most of the children at the start of the school year, but they will use it throughout the school year."

"It's so important for kids to have the items they need in the classroom to get a good education and some families cannot provide them," she said. "This program helps fill that gap. Just think of all the paper kids use during the school year. That's just one item they will need over an over again."

"It makes the kids feel good, when they have a new book bag or the pencils or whatever else they need," she said.

Schroeder said the project was a success, in part, because participants where allowed to buy as few or as many items as possible and not for a specific family as the Salvation Army Austin Corps back-to-school project requires. This meant bulk purchases of items which could be shared by many students.

According to Schroeder, the lists were compiled from participating schools to ensure the students will have the

specific items needed to start school next weeks.

The items will be distributed to students on the basis of need to those boys and girls, teenagers too, who were unable to acquire the necessary back-to-school supplies because of financial or other constraints in their families.

The items include both

scientific and graphing calculators; both expense items, which will be made available to students at the high school level on an "as-needed" basis to ensure they are used by as many students as possible.

For financially-strapped schools, it will be especially reassuring to have office supply room shelves stocked with items students need.

"It really was overwhelming," said Schroeder, "Since Vacation Bible School in June, the children have been bringing in items or money all summer long. Then, the adults of the congregation and especially the elderly got involved. They were so excited about the project and wanted to help, too. We appreciate everyone's generosity."

So will needy children in local schools.

The reward, according to Schroeder, for those who helped by purchasing back-to-school supplies is in knowing "we have made a difference in the lives of some less fortunate than ourselves."

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com