36-hour supply drive underway - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

By Nicole Johnson  bio | email | Twitter

WEST ASHLEY, SC (WCSC) - A 36-hour school supply drive is underway to help students at poverty stricken schools. Volunteers are at the Wal-mart off Bees Ferry Road in West Ashley stuffing hundreds of backpacks.

The volunteers of "Love Gave Schools" greeted shoppers and shared their mission to fill up bins with school supplies, pack them up into backpacks, and give them to students who attend high poverty schools.

"The two schools that we're specifically helping out with have poverty levels of 70% and 90%, and this is one of the ways we can help and give back to our community," Wal-Mart Co-Manager Joseph Thomas said.

Wal-Mart West Ashley partnered up with the River Church for the supply drive. The assistant principal of Orange Grove says getting the kids these supplies is vital for their education.

"In any school really you have students who are going to come to school the first day, and they're not going to have the materials that they need," assistant principal of Orange Grove Elementary Charter School John H. Clendanile said.

People were more than happy to give by donating glue, crayons, paper, and even money.

"From the way we're going right now we're going to exceed that goal, but we'd like to double it or triple it if we can," Thomas said.

"To see the community come out and be so supportive is really great. Everybody is taking care of the kids that are in need," Clendanile said.

The volunteers of "Love Gave Schools" are out from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The group plans to present the supplies to students and staffers at the school in August.

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