Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights

Colorado
Organization for
Latina
Opportunity and
Reproductive Rights
  • About
    • About Us
    • HERstory
    • Employment
  • Reproductive Justice
  • Organizing
    • Youth Programs
      • COLORado 1in3 Youth Leadership Council
      • Latinas Increasing Political Strength
    • Intergenerational Programs
      • Cafecitos
      • Parents and Families Workshops
  • Advocacy
    • Policy Positions
    • We Build Our Families. We Control Our Futures.
    • Latino/a Advocacy Day
    • Action Alerts
  • Connect
    • Support our Work
    • COLOR Blog
    • Events & Media
    • Podcasts
    • Social Media
  • Donate
Volunteer With Us
Search
Back to Blog

Costo de los útiles escolares / / The Cost of School Supplies

By Angelita Trujillo September 14, 2018
  • Economic Justice
  • Parenting
  • economic justice
  • parenting
  • school supplies
  • English Follows

    Costo de los útiles escolares

    Cuando mi única hija pasó a quinto grado yo no tenía un salario fijo; ya que limpiaba casas por mi cuenta y apenas si me alcanzaba para cubrir los gastos básicos para mi niña y para mi.

    Ganando alrededor de $350 dólares a la semana y pagando una renta de $800 por mes era casi imposible guardar dinero para gastos imprevistos o de emergencia. Pero a las escuelas no les importa la situación económica de las familias, ellos solo mandan una larga lista de útiles que “necesitan” para el año escolar.

    Recuerdo que el total de los útiles era de casi $120 dólares, y a mi apenas si me alcanzaba para sobrevivir. Así que de dónde podía agarrar dinero para comprarlos?

    Eso fue el 2012 y seis años después, veo como nuestra comunidad sigue padeciendo de este mismo problema, aunque yo creo que ha empeorado.

    Con el aumento en el costo de vivienda en Colorado las familias de nuestro estado están pasando por una situación económica difícil, ya que no hay proporción entre el aumento en el costo de vida y el salario que tenemos, que es de apenas $10.20 por hora.

    Y para completar este cuadro de dificultad… se suma la lista de útiles escolares para el año 2018-2019!

    De kindergarten a tercer grado el costo de la lista oscila entre $90 y $120, cuarto y quinto grado entre $100 y $140, ya se imaginaran cuanto cuesta la secundaria y la preparatoria.

    Con todo esto, cómo no va a tener estrés nuestra comunidad hispana, si el dinero que gana no le alcanza ni para cubrir sus necesidades básicas.

    La recomendación sería, usar los útiles del año anterior que estén en buen estado y buscar los lugares donde los ofrecen de manera gratuita o a bajo costo.

    Al final del día lo que importa es que nuestros hijos estudien, enseñémosles que lo importante es la educación, no llevar los mejores cuadernos o lápices a la escuela.

    Suerte mis queridos papás y mamás en este regreso a clases.

    Con amor, Gina

    image

    The Cost of School Supplies

    When my only daughter went to fifth grade I did not have a fixed salary; I cleaned houses on my own and barely made enough to cover the necessary expenses for my girl and me.

    Earning around $350 per week and paying a rent of $800 per month it was almost impossible to save money for unforeseen or emergency expenses.

    However, the schools do not care about the economic situation of the families, and they send a long list of supplies they “need” for the school year.

    I remember that the total of the supplies was almost $120, and I barely had enough to survive. So where could I get the money to buy them?

    That was 2012 and eight years later, I see how our community continues to suffer from this same problem, although I think it has worsened.

    With the increase in the cost of housing in Colorado, the families of our state are going through a difficult economic situation, since there is no correlation between the rise in the cost of living and the salary we have, which is only $10.20 per hour.

    Moreover, to make matters worse, the list of school supplies for the year 2018-2019 is added!

    From kindergarten to third grade the cost of the list ranges from $90 to $120, fourth and fifthgrade between $100 and $140, you can imagine how much it costs for high school.

    With all this, how can our Hispanic community not be stressed, when the money they are earning does not even cover their basic needs?

    The recommendation would be to use the supplies of the previous year that are in excellent condition and look for the places where they offer them for free or at low cost.

    At the end of the day what matters is that our children study. Let’s teach them that the important thing is education, not taking the best notebooks or pencils to school.

    Good luck my dear parents and moms in this Back to School.

    With love,

    Gina

    View Sidebar
  • About COLOR

    Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) is a Denver-based grassroots nonprofit that is both Latina-led and Latina-serving. COLOR provides a voice on reproductive rights, health and justice for Latinas, their families and allies. We lift the voices of Latinas and empower our community to lead successful, healthy lives.

  • Categories

    • #1in3 (3)
    • Abortion (4)
    • Artivism (3)
    • Economic Justice (3)
    • Food Justice (1)
    • Immigrant Justice (1)
    • Parenting (2)
    • Racial Justice (2)
    • Transcreation (1)
  • Archives

    • January 2019 (1)
    • December 2018 (1)
    • November 2018 (3)
    • October 2018 (1)
    • September 2018 (1)
    • August 2018 (1)
    • July 2018 (2)
  • Volunteer With Us

    Connect and join our volunteers, learn more about our youth leadership development programs, help with our outreach!

    Donate to COLOR

    Every RJ act of solidarity and engagement counts, and adds up! So does money. Our movement needs our financial support.

    Join Our Team

    We believe that if a Latina has the power to make a change in her own life, she can change her community. Join us!
    Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights
    Copyright © 2018, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights
    Links
    Contact Us
    About Us
    Reproductive Justice
    Action Alerts
    Podcasts
    Events and Media
    Connect With Us
    Text JUSTICE or JUSTICIA to 94502 to receive alerts in English y en español