SAUKVILLE, Wis. — Some Ozaukee County families are heading into back-to-school season with longer school supply lists than in years past — and local nonprofits are working to make sure every child is prepared.
WATCH: Ozaukee County nonprofits support families with growing school supply lists
Most schools in Wisconsin start September 1, and many families are already out shopping for school supplies. While prices on individual items did not rise as steeply as last year, the number of items on supply lists is increasing, according to Mike Cosgrove, executive director of Family Promise of Ozaukee County.
"Some things that stick out. Headphones, earbuds. Kept at school," Cosgrove said. "48 pencils. That's kind of specifically a lot."
Cosgrove, who is also a father of three, said the financial pressure of back-to-school season is real for many households.
"My 4K kid needs a helmet. They all need a second pair of shoes," Cosgrove said. "I can see how families definitely would be hurting this time of year."
To help ease that burden, his nonprofit, Family Promise of Ozaukee County teamed with the Ozaukee Food Alliance to give away more than 300 backpacks filled with essential school supplies earlier this month. A donation from Oracle also allowed the organizations to provide shoes for children.
Down the road, The Food Pantry Inc. is doing the same for the families it serves. Marcia Nosko said the organization is preparing supply bags to distribute across the area.
"If we can supplement that for them, all the better," Nosko said. "We want to give our kids the best start we can give them."
Families in Ozaukee County who still need school supplies can call Family Promise at 262-268-2723. They have extra backpacks ready to give to families.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
