Alumni drive up support for students in need

August 5, 2020
Categories: General News Tags: Alumni

Shelves in stores across the nation are lined with boxes of unsharpened pencils, colorful crayons, shimmering notebooks and countless variations of bookbag designs. As some families trek out to safely purchase new school supplies, others know that new supplies are simply out of reach.

Approximately one in five children in the United States live in poverty, according to the American Psychological Association.

For those children, priorities for their family such as paying rent and bills take precedence over new uniforms to accommodate their recent growth spurt.

That’s what inspired the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association and Young Alumni Chapter to host the School Supply Drive in support of students who attend Niner University Elementary and local Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

“School supplies give students the important tools that they need to succeed throughout the year,” said Courtney Rothenberg Hunt ’18, president of the Young Alumni Chapter. “Through these uncertain times, it is important to make sure the kids in our community are still learning to the best of their abilities and the Young Alumni Chapter wanted to ensure that each and every student has the tools they need both in the classroom and at home.”

In order to make it as simple as possible to support Charlotte students in need, there are three ways to donate to the School Supply Drive:

  • A drop-off box will be located in front of the Harris Alumni Center (HAC) for items to be added to, and it will be checked regularly by staff members
  • Many of the most critical needs are listed on an Amazon Wish List, and they can be dropped off at the HAC
  • Uniforms and items from other stores can be purchased online and shipped to the HAC.

Donations of new and unopened school supplies will be accepted through Saturday, Aug. 15.

“Getting new school supplies is an exciting experience that every child should know and enjoy,” said Hunt, who serves as the assistant at the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City. “With the help of Niner Nation, we can give so many children the joyful experience of new supplies and make learning fun.”