Back to School shopping kicked off at Grace House in St. Joseph Tuesday morning. 

The three week shopping event provides school supplies and more for students in need. 

Ruth Costello is the owner of the Grace House which began almost 12 years ago. 

Costello said they serve around 800 people a month at the free thrift store including seniors, children and adults with disabilities. Costello said the next two to three weeks, however, are just for kids. 

“They get two outfits, new underwear, new socks, if they desperately need a pair of shoes and we can tell by looking at them, we try to find them a pair of shoes,” Costello said. “We have a little over 400 shoes that we’ve given to kids who have signed up way back in March and April that are getting As and Bs. If they get As and Bs on their report card, they get a new pair of shoes and that’s their reward, so they’ve earned the shoe, not just been handed a shoe.” 

Costello said their goal is to help students feel confident when they head back to school. 

“When they go there and they’re wearing new stuff and nice stuff and some of them with a brand new pair of shoes, they start off the year right and the teacher doesn’t know who’s very poor or very rich,” Costello said. 

According to Costello, Tuesday morning they served over 350 students. 

Costello said they do need more donations of school supplies and especially backpacks as they ran out Tuesday morning. For more information, click here.

Listen to Ruth Costello tell the story behind Grace House below:

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