By CLARKE STACKHOUSE/ Staff Writer

BIRMINGHAM — Ready Day One is now accepting donations, to ready impoverished students for the first day of school. All donations are due Sunday, June 16.

Greg Foust, pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church on Cahaba Valley Road, said the Ready Day One Campaign is a coalition of churches, businesses, non-profits and government agencies joining together to help prepare children in need for the first day of school.

The main initiative of the campaign is to provide children who attend Birmingham City Schools with the uniforms that are needed for the school year.

“It builds relationships that allows us to help them in other ways,” Foust said. “We try to help as many as possible, to give more to others less fortunate than we.”

Children sometimes don’t attend school until after Labor Day weekend, because the funds needed to purchase school uniforms, have to go to feeding the family, Foust said.

Last year the campaign was able to raise more than $300,000 and supply more than 4,000 students with school uniforms.

“It’s a way to help our brothers and sisters,” Foust said. “It makes a difference, not just financially but interactively.”

After the donations are received, the supplies are bought and distributed. The first distribution day is July 27 at Urban Ministries on Cotton Avenue in Birmingham. The second day is Aug. 3 at Collegeville in North Birmingham.

“The money has to come first,” Foust said.

There are many volunteer opportunities for Ready Day One. It is a great opportunity for families to volunteer together, Foust said.

If interested in donating, visit Asburyonline.org/ready, or for more information on volunteer opportunities, contact (205) 271-9903.