Central Pa. group fills backpacks of school supplies as prices rise

The Harrisburg nonprofit, All You Can Incorporated, is collecting school supplies to donate to families in need. The back-to-school drive comes as many families continue to feel the strain of higher prices. Back-to-school shopping isn't escaping inflation. A typical hall of school supplies will charge nearly 8% more this year, and lunch items will be 11% costlier. That's according to research from Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation. All You Can, led by President Ralph Rodriguez, hopes to ease that financial burden on families. It can mean the difference between a family paying an electric bill or really having to look for other means to make ends meet to assist their children getting the school ready and, you know, headstrong on day one. He says having nice supplies like backpacks, folders, notebooks, pencils, and crayons can build confidence and help kids fit in. Donors can drop off school supplies at renewal by Anderson in Mechanicsburg until August 15th. Economically disadvantaged families can register online for the August 22nd pickup in Harrisburg. In Mechanicsburg, I'm Katie Knoll. WITF News.