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Communities In Schools of North Carolina Network Joins Walmart in Largest Walmart Back-to-School Supply Drive in NC’s History
Communities In Schools of Cleveland County, part of the leading dropout prevention network in North Carolina dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life, is proud to announce participation in a statewide partnership with Walmart to collect school supplies for economically-disadvantaged students in North Carolina.
The 2011 “Build A Backpack” back-to-school supply drive is the largest school supply drive ever conducted by Walmart in North Carolina, involving all 138 local Walmart stores across the state.  CISNC has identified 77 counties that will benefit from the “Build A Backpack” program.  To expand its reach across the state, CISNC has partnered with other trusted nonprofits.  These partner agencies are assisting CISNC in counties where there are Walmart stores but not a local CISNC affiliate. 
The campaign, kicked off on July 17, 2011, and runs until August 21, 2011, involves Walmart customers being asked at check-out to contribute $1, $5, $10 or another dollar amount toward school supplies.  Bins will be available in Walmart stores as well to collect donated school supply items, which will be distributed to local Communities In Schools affiliates that will then distribute the items to low-income students.  Money collected will be distributed in the form of Walmart gift cards to local Communities In Schools (CIS) affiliates, including Communities In Schools of Cleveland County.  On August 23, 2011, students from Cleveland County Schools, accompanied by volunteers from Communities In Schools of Cleveland County, will shop for needed school supplies and other items.
“We could not be more thrilled to partner with Communities In Schools to serve our state’s students,” said Ronny Hayes, Regional Vice President of Walmart and Board Member of Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC).  “It is our hope that the back-to-school supply drive piloted here in North Carolina, with the invaluable help of Communities In Schools to ensure that the neediest students be the recipients of the collected items, will serve as a model across the country.”
“With a presence in 42 counties across North Carolina, Communities In Schools touches North Carolina’s neediest children,” said Linda Harrill, President and CEO of CISNC.  “In fact, 97 percent of the students that CIS serves are economically disadvantaged.  We thank Walmart for its commitment to serve those most in need by launching such a massive and promising school supply campaign.  A small investment today in ‘Build A Backpack’ will pay a big dividend in the lives of students who need the essential tools that support their success in school.”
Another partnership that CISNC affiliates/partners will be able to benefit from is with IBM.  As an aspect of its centennial celebration, IBM is also joining in on this drive by asking its 10,000 employees and retirees in the state to volunteer.  IBMers are being encouraged to assist CISNC affiliates and/or other “Build A Backpack” partners to help students shop for school supplies, assist the affiliates in filling backpacks with school supplies or helping to collect donations at local Walmart stores.
CISNC will also work in partnership with United Way to distribute supplies in select communities.  
“Our Walmart Supercenter has been a support to Communities In Schools and our local community since first locating in Cleveland County.  We are excited to take our partnership to a new level with the Build A Backpack campaign.  Build A Backpack allows us to join with Walmart and the Cleveland County community to bring critically needed school supplies to those students in the greatest need of support.  Thank you Johnny Wise and the Walmart team for your commitment to our community!”, said Phillis White, Executive Director of Communities In Schools of Cleveland County.
Signage promoting “Build A Backpack” will appear throughout all Walmart stores in North Carolina in early July.
Communities In Schools belief is that we should surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. The Build A Backpack campaign does just that by bringing the community, schools, and families together with Walmart to assure that students are ready for the new school year.

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