Barb Jankowski poses with boxes of school supplies she has purchased to help children at Webb Elementary in 2021. She is known as “the grandmother of Webb” recently formed a nonprofit to expand her efforts. Daily Journal File Photo
A southside grandmother is expanding her efforts to make sure all Franklin students have school supplies through a newly formed nonprofit.
Mimi’s Mission began six years ago when Barb Jankowski learned from her grandchild’s teacher that some students lacked supplies. Immediately, she went out and bought supplies for her grandchild’s class and started making plans to supply the entire school for the upcoming school year.
In 2021, Jankowski was able to supply all about 250 students who attended Webb Elementary School that year. Students only had to purchase a backpack and over-the-ear headphones for the school year.
Students who have free- or reduced-price meals can get some help with supplies through Franklin Community Schools, but the idea is to provide more than the bare necessities, Jankowski said.
The effort expanded to other schools such as Custer Baker Intermediate School. An Excel spreadsheet was created for schools to request help with supplies. Schools with extra supplies could also offer up theirs to make sure there’s enough to go around, Jankowski said.
“Let’s say … Custer Baker has 50 crayons, [another school] can submit a request for 24 crayons,” Jankowski said. “And then Franklin has a little pony system where they can take it from us to Baker to other schools.”
Five years later, she has started a nonprofit to expand her efforts and supply more than just gluesticks and crayons to students. Jankowski hopes to expand the newly formed nonprofit to provide period products for students, undergarments, gym shoes and more.
She would also like to take on the student lunch deficit, she said. She hopes the federal government will eventually take on the task through the National School Lunch Program, a federally-assisted meal program that provides low-cost or no-cost lunches to children.
Franklin Community School District has six schools that are eligible or near eligible to participate in the program, but none currently do, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
“We all want to do more for the children of Franklin …” Jankowski said. “We all have the same feeling that the city of Franklin can do so much to help our students.”
Expanding to become a nonprofit was easy with the help of Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller. An attorney helped her file paperwork and understand the legalities, she said.
Now the nonprofit is in the process of setting up emails, webpages, business cards and a logo. Jankowski currently keeps the supplies in her garage. In the future, she may need more space to keep them, she said.
Before becoming a nonprofit, Jankowski used her own money to provide school supplies. Becoming a nonprofit will allow Mimi’s Mission to get sponsorships, request donations, apply for grants and ultimately help more students. The number of students that Jankowski has helped with school supplies is hard to quantify, but she is known for her devotion to giving back to Webb Elementary.
“I think it’s wonderful that if we can show children at a young age that there are people that care and people that want to do good, they will learn to do good,” Jankowski said.
To donate supplies or become involved with the effort, email Jankowski at [email protected]. Keep up with Mimi’s Mission through the Facebook group Supply our Students #SOS.
