Chattanooga, Tenn. (August 12, 2020) – As the 2020-2021 academic year begins, teachers and students at East Brainerd Elementary School in Chattanooga are receiving additional support from Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a national nonprofit dedicated to providing free school supplies to students most in need, through its Second Responder® program, and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. To help ensure the school has the needed resources and supplies for the year following a devastating tornado in April 2020, the partnering organizations will provide backpacks filled with school supplies and books to over 1,100 students. Additionally, the school’s 70 teachers will receive a special tote bag filled with supplies and resources to help them prepare for the upcoming school year, no matter what the schedule looks like, allowing teachers to teach and learners to learn.
“Our Second Responder® program has always responded swiftly after natural disasters. Coupled with a global pandemic, we are proud that our partnership with Dollar General Literacy Foundation is still able to support teachers, students, and their families,” said Corey Gordon, CEO of The Kids In Need Foundation. “With the details of the 2020-21 school year still uncertain, we hope the teachers and students at East Brainerd Elementary find comfort in knowing that they will have the resources they need when school starts, whether classes take place in a traditional setting or from home.”
“We are proud to partner with the Kids In Need Foundation to provide much needed school and classroom supplies to East Brainerd Elementary,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “During this unique time when a natural disaster and pandemic have interrupted education in this community, it is nice to be able to meet some of the students and teachers basic needs so they can start the school year ready to learn.”
On April 13, 150 buildings in Chattanooga were impacted by an EF-3 tornado, including devastating damage to East Brainerd Elementary School. The day after the storm, the scene at the school was described by the Chattanooga Times Free Press: “Scattered in the grass, just outside of what was once one of the school’s playgrounds, were colored pencils — bright against the bleak scene, like Easter eggs.”
Support for East Brainerd Elementary School comes as a follow up to Second Responder®’s efforts following the tornado outbreak of March 2-3 that affected West and Middle Tennessee. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation,
which has been the national partner for Second Responder® since 2017 and calls the Nashville area home, worked closely with KINF and PENCIL, an organization that provides resources and supplies to Metro Nashville Public Schools. Due to the impact of the tornadoes, and that of COVID-19, the need was great. PENCIL distributed 1,500 student packs that included basic supplies and workbooks during the first two weeks of the COVID-19 response and ultimately served at least 8,000 students with the supplies donated through Second Responder®.
“The outpouring of support for East Brainerd Elementary this challenging year has been truly heartening. KINF and Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s material support of our school community has ensured that we can continue to serve our students at the highest levels,” said Saunya Goss, principal of East Brainerd Elementary. “On behalf of our staff, students, and families, I am exceedingly grateful for this generous gift.”
KINF and Dollar General Literacy Foundation are committed to ensuring that every child should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education – despite all circumstances. By providing school supplies and books to students and teachers following natural disasters and throughout the pandemic, KINF and Dollar General Literacy Foundation are inspiring students to continue to achieve their full potential through education. To learn more about the collaborative relief efforts, visit https://www.kinf.org/secondresponder/
About Kids In Need Foundation
Kids In Need Foundation provides the support and tools needed for teachers to teach and learners to learn. A quality education is the best gateway to opportunity and students cannot achieve their full potential without it. With a focus on supporting teachers and students in schools most in need nationwide, Kids In Need Foundation believes that every child in America should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education. Founded in 1995, Kids In Need Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization, has distributed $1 billion in school supplies since its inception. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram: @KidsInNeed.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $182 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 11 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit https://www.dgliteracy.org/.
###