Many kids have fond memories of stocking up on pens, pencils and contacting their new textbooks at the start of each school year, though sadly that's not the case for all Aussie children -- one in 10 Australian kids grow up in financially disadvantaged families and may not have access to necessary school supplies.
Enter, Yoobi -- a start up stationery brand that has partnered with The Smith Family and Officeworks to provide school supplies to disadvantaged Aussie kids.
One year after launching in the USA, where Yoobi has donated enough free school supplies to impact the lives of almost 1 million children, the philanthropic brand is about to bring its simple charitable premise to Australia: You buy, Yoobi gives.
Launching through Officeworks stores this December, for every item purchased from Yoobi’s range of stationery -- an item will be donated to a child in need through The Smith Family. The feel-good purchase isn't a hard one to make either, as the extensive range is fun, colourful and affordable.
“With Yoobi, our goal is to make phenomenal stationery supplies for kids aged four to 104, while solving an important problem -- providing fundamental access to school supplies for those in need,” said Australian co-founder, Ido Leffler, who established Yoobi with his business partner, Lance Kalish, after their kids started primary school and they realised that stationery designs hadn’t changed much since they were kids.
Lance Kalish at an Australian school gifting children with supplies.
“After visiting dozens of public schools for research, we discovered teachers were buying basic necessities out of their own pockets and many kids didn’t have access to fundamental school supplies. We knew we had to find a way to make a
difference,” said Leffler.
Named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of 100 Brilliant Companies to watch in 2015, Yoobi plans to donate school supplies to 9,000 local primary school kids this year through The Smith Family’s annual Christmas give.
Following Christmas, Yoobi will be supplying Classroom Packs full of Yoobi school supplies through The Smith Family’s partner school networks and learning centres.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Smith Family and Officeworks here in Australia,” said Kalish. “Together we’re providing an affordable, fun way for Australians of all ages to jazz up their desks, while helping those less fortunate.”
