BATTLEBORO – Students in Edgecombe County have a fresh batch of school supplies to kick off their new year.
The N.C. Department of Transportation and the N.C. Department of Commerce teamed up to gather donated school supplies this summer and give them to the students at Phillips Middle School in Battleboro and other Edgecombe County schools. The effort was part of Gov. Cooper’s 2nd Annual School Supply Drive.
Bobby Lewis, the Department of Transportation’s chief operating officer, helped deliver the final boxes to Phillips Middle School on Thursday morning. Employees from the department donated 930 items of various supplies, including notebooks, pens and paper, facial tissue and hand sanitizers.
“I’m so proud of our team’s involvement in the School Supply Drive,” Lewis said. “They showed a lot of enthusiasm and generosity.”
Kenny Flowers, assistant secretary for Rural Economic Development at the N.C. Department of Commerce, and Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland “Clee” Atkinson Jr., also participated in the final drop-off Thursday.
“Education is the cornerstone of economic development, because businesses depend on an educated and skilled workforce,” Flowers said. “It’s never been more important to support our students and their teachers, and all of us at Commerce are proud to be a part of this drive.”
Atkinson added: "This is great for the teachers, who don’t have enough resources sometimes. We really appreciate all of these resources you brought here today for these students and this school.”
The governor’s supply drive is an opportunity for state employees to show their support and appreciation for teachers, who can sometimes spend several hundred dollars of their own money on basic classroom necessities for their students.