Every August, thousands of Greenville County students get ready to head back to school. For a lot of them, that means new shoes, a trip to Walmart, and the excitement that comes with a fresh start. For other families, getting the basics before that first bell rings is not so simple.
United Way of Greenville County’s School Tools campaign exists for this exact reason. Each summer, the organization collects backpacks and school supplies for elementary, middle, and high school students across the county, so that every student can walk through the door on day one ready to learn. This year’s goal was to reach 3,500 students at a free, family-friendly event on Saturday, August 1 at Carolina High School. Thanks to the generosity of many community members, the campaign reached even further, collecting and distributing 4,100 backpacks.
We were proud to be part of these efforts, and even prouder knowing that we get to make the beginning of the school year a little bit less stressful for the families in our community!
What We Donated
On Friday, July 31, our team dropped off 20 fully stocked backpacks at United Way of Greenville County’s collection site in Greenville. Each backpack was packed for an elementary school student and included everything they would need to start the school year ready to learn:
- A backpack
- Notebooks and folders
- Pencils, erasers, and a pencil box
- Scissors and a ruler
- Glue sticks
- Tissues and hand sanitizer
In total, Armada Law Injury Attorneys donated $2,000 in school supplies, all going directly to students in our community through the August 1 distribution event at Carolina High School.
“One of our core values at Armada Law is to Be the Change, and that means taking action where we can make a real difference. Supporting United Way’s School Tools campaign is about more than donating backpacks. It’s about helping local students start the school year with confidence and the resources they need to succeed. We’re proud to invest in the future of our community, one student at a time.” – Timothy H. Nicolette, Personal Injury Attorney, Armada Law Injury Attorneys
Helping Students in Our Community Matters To Us
This partnership came together through Kelley Lozada, our Community and Operations Manager, and while it’s our first time participating in School Tools, it won’t be our last. There’s something simple, yet powerful, about this kind of giving: a child needs a backpack, a community shows up, and that child walks into school with one less thing standing between them and a good day.
We believe in removing obstacles before they become barriers. That belief drives the work we do for clients navigating the aftermath of an injury, and it’s the same belief that brought our team to a drop-off site on a Friday afternoon in July with 20 stuffed backpacks.
Greenville is our home. The families and students in this county are our neighbors. Showing up for them, in whatever way we can, is part of what it means to be part of this community.
How You Can Get Involved
United Way of Greenville County’s School Tools campaign accepts supply donations, financial gifts, and volunteers year-round. If you want to get involved or learn more about how you can support students across Greenville County, visit unitedwaygc.org/school-tools.
