News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Crossville’s “We Are One” group will host a back-to-school workday Saturday to assist all 12 schools, and they could use your help.
The Christian non-profit organization will distribute and sort 40 palettes of school supplies that the organization is giving to all schools. Board of Directors Member Philip Burnett said the workday will also consist of cleaning, painting, pressure washing, and getting schools ready.
“It was really interesting, we went into each school and we sat down with them and we said ‘hey, what do you need?'” Burnett said. “And so most of them are very similar, those are the things that they can barely get to each year, and so we just said hey let us try to help you with that.”
Burnett said 74 percent of the kids in the Cumberland County Schools are at or below the national poverty level. The organization learned about the needs of the students after meeting with the School System Director Billy Stepp.
“They just opened the doors to us basically,” Burnett said. “And we were kind of blown away and we have had multiple meetings with the school’s superintendent and with his assistants, Primarily Karri Hobby has helped us greatly.”
Burnett said this is the largest event of the group annually. This year, they will expand their support to students, buying shoes for kids in need. The school system sent an email to parents asking if their kids needed new shoes.
“We have worked over several years to be able to source the manufacturer of new tennis shoes for kids and they are really good shoes,” Burnett said. “So we are also ordering and delivering 789 pairs of brand new tennis shoes to the kids that reached out.”
Each school will have a team leader to manage the workdays. Burnett said those who are interested in volunteering just need to simply show up and someone will point them in the right direction. Everyone will meet at the Crossville Community Complex at 8am Saturday.
