Back to school season is a famously hectic time of year. Parents are scrambling to get their children prepared for the first day, while students struggle to hold on to what’s left of their summer vacation. However, 2020’s back to school season is hectic for a completely different reason: The COVID-19 Pandemic.

The rapid spread of this virus has led to the shutdown of businesses large and small, requiring everyone to quickly adapt. Learning institutions were especially hit hard after the signing of the executive order which required students to abandon traditional classrooms and get used to the concept of virtual learning.

With the first day of school around the corner and a learning environment that is guaranteed to include some form of virtual instruction, parents, teachers, and students must be ready for the change.

When asked about the importance of having a learn-from-home space, Marcia Coward, District Family Engagement Manager for DeKalb County School District, had this to say:

“It is always important, but in these unprecedented times it is more than important, it’s crucial.”

Coward continues on to say “With students being out of school, the interruption of their ‘normal’ already puts them in a different headspace. It is important that they have their own space created at home so that they can have some sense of normalcy during this abnormal pandemic.”

With Georgia’s unemployment rate rising from roughly 3% in January to just under 13% in April, it is clear that while having a designated learn-from-home area may be a necessity, many Georgians simply can’t afford it. This shift in priority and drop in available funds has made discount retail options like Goodwill of North Georgia vital in local communities.

“I am a big fan of Goodwill,” Coward expresses. “Budget or not, you can always find what you visualize already created for you at Goodwill!”

For many, Goodwill of North Georgia has become a back to school destination for not only clothes but school supplies as well. With the recent addition of new goods to numerous locations and the continued influx of unused donations, Goodwill shoppers can often find brand new items at a fraction of the price. Not to mention the weekly offering of 50% discounts and 99 Cent Mondays. Whether your kids are going back to school in person or you’re setting up your remote learning station, consider Goodwill for your supplies including:

Recognizing that not everyone is a natural born thrifter, and for those, Coward shares these words of advice for your treasure hunt:

“Go in with an open mind, especially for back to school. The stores are very organized and there’s always such a good selection… that’s what starts the journey. When you go in and find your treasures for that day (and compare them to traditional retail prices), it triggers you the next time you pass a Goodwill to stop and see ‘What kind of treasures can I find in here today?”

Coward has used that same treasure hunting mentality to find everything from flash cards to dry erase boards to help support the more than 102,000 students in the DeKalb County School District.

We now challenge you to do the same!

Visit your local Goodwill and start hunting for your back to school finds! Share your #BacktoSchoolFinds on social and tag us @goodwill_ng on Instagram and at ‘Goodwill of North Georgia’ on Facebook for a chance to get featured on our page. Happy hunting!