Florence Rotary, Boone County Kiwanis Club and City of Florence partner to support local high schools

When local organizations work together, the impact can reach far beyond what any one group could accomplish alone.

This summer, the Rotary Club of Florence, Kiwanis Club of Boone County and the City of Florence joined forces for a school supply drive designed to help students begin the school year with the supplies they need to succeed. The effort provided support to students at Conner High School, Boone County High School, and Ryle High School.

During a recent Rotary Club of Florence meeting, Doug Keeling of the Kiwanis Club of Boone County shared an update on the school supply drive and the organizations’ efforts to support the three high schools. His presentation highlighted the importance of working together to meet needs in our community and ensure that students have the resources they need as they head back to school.

The Rotary Club of Florence contributed 260 packages of school supplies. The Rotary purchases were distributed among the three schools:

The 260 packages represent packages of supplies rather than the total number of individual items contained within those packages. For example, a package of 10 pens counts as one package.

Supporting students is a natural extension of the Rotary Club’s commitment to service in Boone County. Whether through scholarships, school partnerships, volunteer projects or community initiatives like this school supply drive, the Rotary Club of Florence is committed to helping young people have opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the drive was recognizing that students’ needs extend beyond pencils, notebooks and folders. Donations also included needed items of deodorant, feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, underwear, leggings, sweatpants, snacks, tissues and cleaning supplies, along with traditional classroom materials.

The contributions help schools respond to students as individuals and address some of the barriers that can make it more difficult for a student to focus on learning. Meijer gift cards, in-kind donations, community collections and direct purchases all helped expand the reach of the drive.

The Rotary Club of Florence, Kiwanis of Boone County and City of Florence each played a role in helping local students start the school year with greater confidence and support.

The participating organizations have also shared updates about the effort and the impact of the donations:

Rotary Club of Florence