Press release from Eblen Charities:
Next Wednesday, August 15, the 2018-2019 school year will begin in western North Carolina. Tens of thousands of students will again be filing through the doors of schools across the mountains preparing for another year of the excitement of learning.
But before the first bell rings, hundreds of students and their teachers will be finding themselves again facing the same challenge they encountered last year and that may in fact be greater than last year.
Once again, as students reach for the paper and pencils they need, they may find their back packs and book bags empty. Many local families struggle to provide their children the supplies that they need.
On Wednesday August 15, Ingles Tools for Schools will again welcome partners Asheville Citizen-Times, WLOS-TV, and iHeart Radio, Biltmore Church, Two Men and a Truck and Great Beginnings Pediatric Dentistry and Great Smiles, as they bring the community together to stand beside the students, teachers, school administration, staff, and parents in helping make sure that students who can not afford the proper school supplies will have what they need for a successful school year. This year the Tools for Schools Drive will be collecting school supplies at the Ingles Market on Tunnel Road (across from Outback) and will be adding more sites at Ingles throughout western North Carolina to reach more schools and students than in years past.
“In these difficult times and with school budgets being cut, it is easy to disregard things that many may consider less important. But where this might seem lower on the list of priorities, it is vital to every student that attends school in western North Carolina. Sadly, it has become an extra burden to families struggling through the current financial situation,” states Bill Murdock, executive director of the Eblen Charities. “But it is during these times we are presented with a great opportunity to join together to reach out and lend a hand to these students and their families. It is also important to remember that classroom needs continue all year long. Handing out backpacks and school supplies in August is only the beginning.”
Some of the items needed are:
Notebooks, Boxes of Tissues, Rulers, Safety Scissors, Glue Sticks, #2 Pencils, Colored Pencils, Two-Pocket and Three-Pocket Folders, Highlighters, Crayons, Loose-Leaf Paper, Composition Books, Book Bags, Whiteboard Dry Erase Markers (Black)Zip-Lock Freezer Bags (Gallon, Quart, Snack Size), 5×7 Note Cards, Pencil Erasers, Hand-Sanitizer
The school supplies will be distributed on Wednesday, August 22 at the Eblen Charities Waddell Client Service Center at Westgate Shopping Center in West Asheville. If you or your company or organization would like to join us in providing needed school supplies to the children we serve, please contact Bill Murdock at Eblen Charities at 828-242-2848 or via email at eblenfound@aol.com.
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