In Buncombe County, one in five children lives in poverty—sometimes a new backpack or even the necessary school supplies just aren’t in the cards. The school supply drive is an opportunity for the hospitality industry to come together to help fight against those numbers, starting at the school level.
Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County, is hosting a mini drive for tourism industry partners to collectively support United Way’s School Supply Drive and maximize our impact. We are collecting backpacks and school supplies from July 24 to August 4.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Collect supplies for the drive, and contact Pat Kappes at the CVB to arrange for a pick-up from your location. Items most needed are backpacks and calculators (with scientific functions.)
- You can also drop off your donations at United Way’s office at 50 S. French Broad Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801.
- Or, you can make a donation online here. Every bit of help and support is appreciated, especially by the kids!
CVB staff will be holding a Backpack Packing event on Thursday, August 17, at 3:00 p.m. where we hope to break last year’s record and help 2,000 students walk into their first day of school fully prepared. Contact Pat Kappes to RSVP, or with any questions.
Thanks for your support!