LENOIR, NC (September 6, 2024) ⇒ The Caldwell Branch of the NAACP donated school supplies for about 50 students and teachers to Valmead Elementary School on Friday, August 30. The supplies were donated to the Branch by Joan Wells, Committee Chair on the Branch’s leadership. This follows a donation of books by the Branch to the school the previous school year. Carrie Jones, the Chair of the Branch’s Committee on Education, realized the importance of still providing school supplies to students and teachers at no cost even after school has started. “I am pleased with the school supplies and the chance to give supplies to both students and teachers who need them even after the ‘back-to-school’ season. We remain committed to being a community partner for Valmead and the school’s community year-around.”
Branch Executive Committee members were at Valmead to distribute the supplies to both teachers and students. “The NAACP’s generous donation of supplies and dedicated time spent listening to our students’ successes and stories has made a positive impact. We are grateful for their commitment to fostering an environment where every child’s voice is heard and valued,” says Mr. Morrow, Principal of Valmead Elementary. Within a couple of hours, supplies for about 30 students were distributed, with the rest being given to Principal Morrow for further distribution.
M. Leonardo Chumbimuni, part of Branch leadership, says, “The NAACP Caldwell County Branch serves the Caldwell community, and the future of this community is with the children. We all here in the Branch leadership value the working relationship we have with Valmead Elementary and each opportunity we have to volunteer time or donate resources to the school so that the children gain the most positive impact. It takes a village to raise a child, and this Branch and its members are that village.”
The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
Passed into law in 2002 within the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 is the law that has the policy mission to “ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths.” The U.S. The Department of Education carries out this mission state by state. Valmead Elementary serves as the educational home for a significant number of Caldwell County children that qualify into the McKinney-Vento program.
NOTE: The Caldwell County Branch, Unit number 5410-B, has a membership of 100+ strong in the County.
