UMW Faculty and Staff Donate to Local School

University of Mary Washington’s Staff Advisory Council held a school supply drive to benefit Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School in North Stafford.

Harold Williams, paint shop manager in facilities services, (left), and Les Johnson, capital outlay project manager in facilities services, load school supplies for delivery to Kate Walker Barrett Elementary School

The drive was an ongoing event that took place during the month of August. Donation boxes were located in university buildings at both the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses.

Donations included pencils, notebook paper, glue sticks, folders, rulers, and other supplies for teachers and students.

S.A.C. Activities Committee Chair, Priscilla Sullivan, organized the event.

She said the event was, “beyond my expectation. There were almost 30 boxes of supplies.”

Sullivan noted that because so many items were collected, it was difficult to find room in the van for everything on the day they delivered the supplies.

As Stafford County classes started on Tuesday, September 4, teachers at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School were thrilled by the donations.

Ellen Church, a third grade teacher who received supplies from the donation, said, “It does indeed save me money as well as my students and their families.”

Charles Tate of the admissions department was one of the many UMW staff members who donated supplies.

He said the drive, in addition to aiding the elementary school, helped to “boost morale and foster collaboration” among faculty and staff in Lee Hall. Tate also said the supply drive was a good way to get to know other departments at UMW.

Because of the drive’s success, Sullivan plans to conduct another drive in January, when classroom supplies start to run low again.

“Maybe we’ll do a whole school zone,” said Sullivan, who plans to expand the drive to include more elementary schools.

In addition to the school supplies drive, Sullivan is planning a food drive this fall and will work on a toy drive with UMW’s Community Outreach and Resources in December.