With the high stress of budget crunches and little inflow from the state, district administrators can breathe a little easier with the help from several local businesses. For the month of February, several locally owned businesses, known as the “Lawrence Originals,” donated a portion of their profits to the Lawrence schools.

   The ‘Lawrence Originals” are a group of locally owned businesses participating in the Lawrence Giveback program. The program works by using Lawrence Giveback cards with which customers can donate to schools or other charities while paying at one of the participating businesses. The businesses then send five percent of profit to Constance Wolfe, the founder of the Lawrence Give Back program, who in turn gives it to whatever charity the cardholder chooses.

   In February, the group donated an extra five percent to schools every Tuesday and Wednesday. This program not only helps out the schools, but also the local businesses.

   “Knowing that a portion of your bill is going to the schools hopefully will bring more people out to eat – helping the restaurants as well,” Local Burger, 714 Vermont Street, owner Hilary Brown said.

   Though a lot of people may shrug off the school district’s money troubles as the city’s problem, Brown thinks that the community should be responsible to support the schools, and this is how she supports them.

   “Many people are experiencing financially difficult times,” Brown said, “so what better way to give than when you eat or buy something?”

    The business owners are not the only ones who think this is a good idea. Lawrence High School finance secretary Marlene Bad Warrior thinks that these businesses donating helps the school out.

   “It’s money that comes back to the schools, so it makes a difference,” Bad Warrior said.

   Even though in the past the project has gone well, some people do not think it went as well as it could have February.

    “Not as many people have come out as I would have hoped,” Brown said.

Business owners are not the only ones who think this. Even though Bad Warrior says it is helpful, she also says that the program could have helped out even more.

    “If more people participated, we’d have more money coming to us,” Bad Warrior said.

    These programs cannot work without the help of customers. Brown says that the best way to help out is to get a Giveback card. The cards are completely free and available at any of the participants. The cards just need to be activated at

www.lawrenceoriginals.com and can then be used for any of the participating charities including the Humane Shelter, Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the schools.

    The Lawrence Originals are not the only ones helping out the schools, however. According to Bad Warrior, companies like Best Buy and Target are also donating.

    “This year we were able to use Best Buy award points to buy new cameras,” Bad Warrior said.

    Plenty of businesses are helping out with the school’s budget crisis, and all they need to do so are more customers.