When Texas BNI member, Becky Isbell, shared with the BNI Foundation’s Co-Founder and President, Beth Misner, that she was going to have her Mini Cooper wrapped to do a “Fill My Mini” school supply drive for teachers, Beth knew she wanted to use her car, a pretty blue Grand Sport Corvette, to gather school supplies, as well. Better yet, Becky’s idea inspired Beth to open up a Fill My Ride with School Supplies campaign throughout BNI.
The BNI Foundation Dream Team of volunteers had a preliminary call to gauge the interest from others about a school supply drive for schools and soon realized that this was an idea that could really take the BNI Foundation and the Business Voices initiative into a lot of cities and communities.
The Fill My Ride with School Supplies (Fill My Ride for short) launched August 22nd, although quite a few regions and chapters held their school supply drive earlier due to different start times in the school year. BNI members Penny LeLeux and Vinnie Mathews held a Fill My Ride event in conjunction with Dance Days in Orange County, TX.
Vinnie Mathews and Penny LeLieux (far left and far right), Beaumont, TX ,BNI members with Kelly Meadows (Center) of Back to School Orange County.
John and Eve Lisle, Executive Directors in Sacramento, CA, area are doing a school supply drive there with a twist. Each chapter in their regions has adopted a classroom and is spending the month of August filling a box with supplies for that classroom.
A Chapter’s box after just ONE WEEK!
When the boxes are delivered to the classrooms, the chapters will also host a career fair at the school. We think that is a very creative way to bring our Business Voices movement to the schools.
Beth’s first Fill My Ride with School Supplies event was Monday, August 22nd at Office Depot in Austin. She parked her Corvette out front and began asking customers to consider adding something to their shopping carts to fill her ride for a local middle school. By the end of a two-hour block of time, she had collected a trunk full of supplies. One Facebook follower, Rabbi Kushi Schusterman, actually called the store when he saw her posts, and asked if he could order something online that would be delivered to Beth’s Corvette. The store gladly assisted the Rabbi and another case of copy paper was added to her car!
All the schools supplies were delivered this afternoon to Fulmore Middle School in Southeast Austin.
Beth Misner is pictured here with BNI Director Consultant, Kristi Krauss, of Austin, TX.
We are hearing a lot of buzz about this school supply drive. Beth will be at one more location this week, the Office Depot at Market and I-35. And she will be at another Fill My Ride event in Miami, FL, next week where BNI Executive Director, Jeff Stay, will be filling his Yukon SUV and several other members will do the same with their SUVs for Mater Academy!
If you would like to participate with Beth in the Fill My Ride with School Supplies drive, please check the BNI Foundation’s Facebook page for the support materials (customizable flyer art and the artwork for the vinyl cling to use on your car) and ideas for how to have a successful drive at Office Depot, or any other office supply store. Remember to take a lot of pictures and use #FillMyRide as your hashtag on Twitter and Facebook so we can follow your local campaigns.
Please respond in the comments field below if you are doing or have concluded your own Fill My Ride with School Supplies drive.