Author: Joan Plotnick
Gov. Cooper announced the School Supply Drive at Pearsontown Elementary School in Durham.
Aug. 30, 2017 — If you’re out shopping, consider throwing in a couple of extra items in your cart for Governor Roy Cooper’s School Supply Drive.
The drive, which runs through Sept. 8, is designed to address unmet classroom needs in North Carolina’s public schools.
Requested items include:
- All types of paper
- Pens, pencils and dry erase markers
- Spiral notebooks
- Tissues and sanitizing wipes
On average, teachers spend about $500 of their own money on classroom supplies.
“It’s my hope that this supply drive is one day unnecessary, but until then, I encourage North Carolinians to help fill that gap by donating classroom supplies,” Cooper said.
Needs are particularly acute in some counties this year due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is matched with Columbus and Bladen counties, two areas that were hit hard by the hurricane.
Donation bins are available in all state government buildings in Raleigh, businesses that partner with the N.C. Business Committee on Education, and all State Employee Credit Union branch buildings.
North Carolina residents are also encouraged to organize supply drives at their own workplaces. They can deliver items collected to a nearby Communities in Schools (CIS) affiliate. CIS and AmeriCorps volunteers will distribute the supplies to classrooms across the state. Information for starting your own drive and finding CIS affiliates can be found in Governor Cooper’s School Supply Drive Kit.
The Governor’s School Supply Drive is a partnership between the North Carolina Governor’s Office, the North Carolina Business Committee on Education, State Employees Credit Union and Communities in Schools of North Carolina.