Salvation Army collects school supply donations for those in need

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Salvation Army of Sevierville collected school supply donations on Saturday at Walmart for its Fill the Bus initiative. The goal of the organization was to fill an entire bus with school supplies for those in need.

Several kids in the area go to school on the first day without the proper equipment, Salvation Army of Sevierville Lt. Rashad Poole said.

“Kids really need school supplies for the less fortunate in our community. Six out of ten kids in Sevier County will not have the proper supplies needed as they enter that door on their first day of school,” Poole said.

The organization couldn’t do it without a little help, though. The Sevierville Fire Department along with volunteers pitched in to collect the donations, including Cayden Tidwell, 9.

“It actually gets me excited because I love when I see new faces and new experiences when people go to school. I love it,” Tidwell said.

The Salvation Army asked people for basic school supplies including backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils and more. Poole said the entire Sevier County area pulled through to help them out.

“It just feels so good to know we have people in the community that want to give back and help kids in our community,” Poole said.

Tidwell likes to help collect the donations because he knows some of his peers may be going to school without the proper supplies. He hopes to help change that narrative.

“It just makes me happy to see their faces,” Tidwell said.

The Salvation Army will continue to collect donations and will give them out to those in need on Aug. 4 at their Sevierville location. Families and children from both Sevier and Cocke counties can benefit from this.

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