On July 30, Southwire’s Project GIFT hosted its annual Back to School Giveaway at Midway Church in Villa Rica, Ga., distributing more than 4,000 bags of school supplies to community members.
The event was drive-thru style, allowing community members to safely receive their bags of school supplies with a minimal amount of contact with others. Nearly 100 volunteers came together to serve more than 850 vehicles at the event.
“This year’s Back to School Giveaway reminded us that there continues to be a need for this in our community,” said Wil Rainey, Project GIFT coordinator. “I’m proud of our Project GIFT volunteers and how they came together to make the event possible, and I’m excited to see how Back to School grows in the future.”
In addition to the bags distributed at the drive-thru event, 1,200 bags of school supplies were delivered directly to local nonprofits who support students throughout the west Georgia and east Alabama area, bringing the grand total to more than 5,300 bags of school supplies given away to community members and school systems.
Outside of the west Georgia area, Southwire’s Bremen, Denton, Florence, Huntersville and Honduras Plants and Fontana, Rancho and Starkville Customer Service Centers (CSCs) held in-person Back to School events with the help of Project GIFT volunteers, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates. At these events, volunteers distributed free bags of school supplies divided into separate offerings based on grade level – one set for K-3 and another for 4-12 students.
One of the company’s newest facilities in Medford, N.Y., will host its own in-person Back to School event on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Mariah Melis, project specialist, says that she looks forward to giving back to others and witnessing the event’s impact on the community.
“Knowing that I play a small part in helping children receive much-needed school supplies is truly humbling, and it makes you stop and think that not everyone is as lucky as you are,” said Melis. “I am thankful that Southwire provides us with the opportunity to make a difference in communities that need help the most, and I look forward to seeing the smiles on children’s faces as we help equip them for the upcoming school year.”
Southwire’s Giving Back communities that did not host in-person events were also able to make a direct impact on local students by directly donating bags of school supplies to school systems in their respective communities. Across all Southwire facilities, a total of 30,000 bags of school supplies were donated as part of the 2022 Back to School Giveaway.
If you would like more information about Back to School in Medford, please send an email to [email protected]. To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to Giving Back, visit https://www.southwire.com/sustainability/giving-back.
