Foundation Stories
Back to School Program: Salvation Army of State College
In 2001, when Patricia Niedermyer, AKA “Captain Pat,” took over the Back to School Program for the Salvation Army of State College, there was one change that she wanted made immediately. The program, which provides a backpack as well as school clothes and supplies to needy children in the area, had previously provided vouchers to the children’s families instead of supervising the purchases themselves. “With the voucher, you never knew what they were doing with it,” Niedermyer explains. “This way we are very accountable.”
The process begins when the case manager for the State College chapter—Ellen Mayer—interviews parents who have low incomes, or who are in a financial bind, to determine who the neediest families are. After the selections are made, the Salvation Army takes the kids shopping at Wal-Mart. “They can get $100 worth of clothes or shoes, things that are appropriate for school,” Niedermyer says. ”Last year it took five registers to sign them all out, so we see that these children are getting clothes for themselves and things that they need. But we do not give them their school bag then. We wait until the evening so that the children can have a festivity with their parents. We put on a little carnival that has ponies [for pony rides]—that somebody pays for—and a meal, face-painting, puppets, music and crafts. There’s also games, with prizes, and everyone’s a winner, no matter what they do.” At the end of the night, the backpacks filled with school supplies are presented to the children. According to Niedermyer who, along with her husband “Captain Chuck” Niedermyer and Ellen Mayer, oversees the proceedings, the average cost per child is about $110. “And then, at the end of the program that night, we go ahead and let them have a backpack full of school supplies. The program costs about $110 per child.”
The Centre County Community Foundation became involved with the Back to School Program in 2008 after the Salvation Headquarters in Philadelphia agreed to let the State College chapter extend their territory.
Previously, the funding for the program had been provided by local churches and organizations such as the Lions Club. “We kept telling [Philadelphia] that we were reaching the children everywhere, So last year, because of the great increase, we asked for more money, and we told them that we’d go up about 50 children, but actually we went up 100. We got $5,000 from the Community Foundation and we were excited about that. Everyone we’ve talked with has been very kind, very professional, but also very compassionate. It’s such a blessing to work with them.”
This year, Niedermyer hopes to add more personnel to help with the expanding program. “We had 90 volunteers last year that helped with the picnic,” she says. “We cut the cost down because the last two years we had Outback [Steak House] do chicken and hamburgers for us. Those 90 volunteers come from all over the place, and we also have some of the children’s parents who are willing to work, who want to do things. So it’s a really nice time for everybody.”
