MIDWAY — With enthusiasm, Stephenie McLean enjoyed shaking the hands of students before they grabbed bags filled with tools for the classroom.
Through a partnership with Sampson County’s Upward Bound program, McLean visited Midway Middle School Monday on behalf of the Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF) to donate school supplies. As the GCF director of regional community development, she led an assembly and spoke about the organization’s mission to create opportunities for people to have better lives.
“We don’t see this as a bunch of school supplies,” she said as the items sat on a table behind her. “We see this as your ticket to success.”
This year marks the first time the foundation donated supplies to middle schools.
“We’re really excited about being here in Sampson County to kick that off,” McLean said.
The kits contain needs such as paper, pencil and earbuds to help with online learning. More than 1,000 packets were distributed at Midway and Hobbton middle schools. She will return in early March to distribute 1,000 more kits to students at Roseboro-Salemburg and Sampson middle schools.
“That’s two thousand children that we’ll reach with the school supplies,” she said.
For 2019, GCF’s goal is to give out 20,000 packets. The items are purchased through the organization, without the assistance of federal funds or grant. With people shopping at the Goodwill store and making donations, officials are able to make purchases such as the school supplies kits.
During the visit, McLean enjoyed speaking to students about the importance of making good decisions and positive interactions. One of the lessons involved handshaking.
“We want our children to be prepared on all fronts — from the tangible skills of being able to work in their classes academically, but also good character,” McLean said. “As they show up in the world with these positive skills to showcase, they’ll be confident and they’ll know their worth and their value and it’ll be impressive to the world. They’ll make a contribution in ways that we can’t even begin to think about.”
The partnership started during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration when Upward Bound students from Sampson County Schools visited the GCF facility in Durham to volunteer. In addition to volunteering, the purpose of the organization is to help students with their higher education goals. Marlow M. Artis, Upward Bound Director for Sampson County Schools, showed appreciation for the foundation’s donation of kits, with an estimated value of $10,000.
“We’re so grateful that the Goodwill Community Foundation is willing to work with middle schools in Sampson County to give out school supplies,” Artis said. “We’re glad that we can help facilitate that through Upward Bound and we’re just grateful that our students will be able to have these resources.”
As a former middle school teacher, Artis understands the challenges educators have in classrooms. Around February, Artis said a lot of students often run out of school supplies, with teachers having to make contributions.
“I know what it’s like as a teacher to have to buy the school supplies,” he said. “So this helps our students, it helps our families, but it also helps our teachers as well.”
Ashley Stephens, a sixth-grade teacher, enjoyed watching the students receive the gifts.
“I think it’s awesome,” Stephens said about donations such as paper. “I know that a lot of my kids need stuff all the time.”
Principal Kevin Hunter was pleased with the GCF donation as well.
“I think it’s fantastic that Goodwill is able to do this, especially with how many kids they effect throughout the school year,” Hunter said. “I’m really appreciative of everything that they do.”
