Volunteers get supplies ready for students
Anderson County Chamber of Commerce President Rick Meredith, ambassador Betty Radford, Chief Financial Officer Jackie Patton, and Patience Marcum with Patience for Profit and Young Professionals of Anderson County volunteered stuffing these backpacks full of supplies for students in need at Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties.
The nonprofit organization Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties has, with the help of many volunteers from Anderson County, been filling backpacks or sending bulk supplies with the required school supplies for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students.
They go to Anderson County Schools, Clinton City Schools, Oak Ridge Schools and the private Saint Mary’s School, as well as some other schools in Campbell, Morgan and Roane counties.
ADFAC Development Director Jamie LaRose said her organization checked with the schools about which supplies to give to students in each grade level.
This is not the first year ADFAC has provided school supplies, but LaRose said it was a record year for students served. ADFAC provided 5,824 students with backpacks.
“Underserved students get the opportunity to walk proudly into school on that first day with all the required supplies,” she said.
“For some, this will be the first time that has ever happened. It is a big deal for students to not stand out as ‘the kid who couldn’t afford supplies.’”
She also said it stops struggling families or teachers from having to pay for the supplies. The supplies allow teachers to focus on work and families to focus on food, housing and other needs.
“The supplies will be used by students to learn, create and build skills that will last a lifetime,” she said.
She cited Tennessee Department of Education statistics showing many “economically disadvantaged” students,including 203 in Clinton City Schools or 22% of the student body; 1,646 in Anderson County Schools or 28%; and 860 in Oak Ridge, 18%.
Kelly Johnson, director Clinton City Schools, said her school system got phone calls from parents over the summer eager to know when the backpacks would be available for their children.
She said the beginning of the school year could be a difficult time for parents trying to afford school supplies and other costs like after school care, and that she appreciated the effort ADFAC made to help.
She said she also appreciated the “variety of themed backpacks.”
If a group or individual is interested in volunteering with next year’s school supplies program, contact Shannon Skeens at shannon@adfac.org.
