Goodwill Community Foundation Celebrates Education With School Supply Kit Donations
Durham, NC (PRWEB) April 21, 2016 -- Goodwill Community Foundation® recently completed its annual Winter school supply kit give away events for students across eastern North Carolina. From January through March, the non-profit donated more than 5,000 GCF school supply kits comprised of composition notebooks, pencils, pencil sharpener, crayons, erasers, hand sanitizer and scissors – essential tools that will support learning. This was an increase of 3,000 kits from last winter when 2,370 kits were distributed. GCF is slated to give away a total of 10,000 kits during 2016 with the second donation coming before the Fall semester that starts in August.
The GCF School Supply Kits were given to students in grades kindergarten through eighth during education celebration events at schools, community centers, and housing authorities in some of the most economically-distressed counties in eastern North Carolina, including Edgecombe, Martin, Washington, Halifax, Bertie, Pitt and Northhampton.
“This is a demonstration of the GCF® mission to create opportunities for a better life through supporting the academic success of children in eastern North Carolina, especially those living at or near poverty. During these assemblies, we were able to deliver the supplies directly to the students while celebrating them and the importance of an education to their lives,” says Rev. Dennis McLain, president, GCF®.
Since 2011, GCF has assembled and distributed school supply kits with the help of community volunteers. While some organizations only provide supplies at the beginning of the school year each August, GCF® also reaches out during critical times of the year when resources are low and the pressure on the students to succeed is higher due to end-of-grade testing. This also helps parents by saving them money and shopping time.
“Meeting this need assures that a child has the essential tools necessary to succeed in school,” says McLain. “Not only does this resource provide financial relief, but it also saves parents the time and transportation costs associated with purchasing these items.”
For more information about GCF and how it supports students, families and the people of eastern North Carolina, please visit http://www.GCFGlobal.org or call 919-941-9600.
About Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF®)
Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF®) continues to be a leader in an era of change by providing the training required for the emerging world where technology is integrated into everyday life. The mission of GCF® is to create and provide education, employment and life enrichment opportunities regionally, nationally and internationally for people who desire to improve the quality of their lives.
The GCF Community Foundation, a Durham-based tax-exempt organization, provides employment, fresh produce and volunteer opportunities, family services for parents with children with disabilities and free accounting services to youth programs across eastern North Carolina. GCFLearnFree.org and GCFAprendeLibre.org have provided free lessons for people in North Carolina since 2010 to improve their technology, math and English skills.
All GCF programs are funded from the value of salable clothing and household items donated at the 39 GCF donation centers located throughout eastern North Carolina. GCF employs more than 400 people who earn an average of $20 per hour with benefits at these stores. For more information on GCF®, visit http://www.GCFGlobal.org.
Laura McAliley, Martin Communications, +1 919-741-0291, [email protected]
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