MINT HILL, NC – It’s hard to believe, but school supplies are already lining the shelves! Servant’s Heart is once again asking for the community’s help to fill book bags for their annual Student School Supply Program.

Servant’s Heart works with partners in the community to distribute new book bags filled with new school supplies to six Mint Hill schools serving grades Pre-K through eight. Bookbags are stocked with all the items teachers have determined students need for academic success at each grade level; once filled, they are taken to school counselors the week before school begins so students who show up without supplies can quickly be given one without being stigmatized. Servant’s Heart also prepares bookbags with general supplies for students in need in the 9th grade through college.

At the end of each school year, Servant’s Heart meets with counselors and social workers to determine the number of book bags needed per grade level for the following year. In 20

19, Servant’s Heart distributed 251 book bags to all nine Mint Hill Schools: Lebanon Road Elementary, Clear Creek Elementary, Bain Elementary, Queens Grant Community School, Mint Hill Middle School, Northeast Middle School, Queens Grant High School, Rocky River High School, and Independence High School. Servant’s Heart also collects classroom and administrative supplies to distribute to the same nine Mint Hill school’s once school is in session.

2020 was a challenging year for teachers and students alike. With little idea of what the school year would look like and only a few weeks remaining until the start of school, Servant’s Heart forged ahead with their annual drive and distributed 280 book bags stocked with supplies that set students up for successful remote and hybrid learning. Over the past three years, Servant’s Heart has distributed a total of $47,110 in supplies to boost students’ and schools’ academic success rates.

Servant’s Heart has already committed to 270 backpacks for this year, and the number grows daily. “We have two Title I Schools in Mint Hill,” Servant’s Heart Founder and Executive Director Kim Rhodarmer says. “The need here is real.”

A full list of supplies needed can be found on Servant’s Heart’s website: https://servantsheart.org/. Supplies in high demand include youth scissors, three- and five-subject notebooks, whiteboards, and headphones. Donations can be dropped off at Servant’s Heart through August 7.