Carter County Schools recently opened their new supply closet for students and their families in need. Now they need their community’s support to stock it fully so it can get the best use possible.

Allison Timbs, Student Support Coordinator for Carter County Schools, said the county school board office held some of these supplies in the past, but that mostly amounted to a few plastic bins of materials and supplies.

“This is the first supply closet effort we have had,” Timbs said. “We want to meet the needs of students in Carter County schools.”

The office’s limited resources meant Timbs often had to go out and get extra supplies on her own in order to compensate. Roughly 50 students and their families utilize the supply closet’s services, sometimes on a weekly basis. She said the community’s need is one of many reasons to create an official supply closet for students to access should they need it.

“It can be heart-breaking,” she said. “I have worked here my whole life, and I was not aware of the need until I took this job.”

She said their efforts to provide for students in need help the county as a whole grow.

“Kids in Carter County are our community,” Timbs said. “They are the future of the area, and we want them to be successful.”

She said providing for their needs helps them perform better in school, which sets them up for more success in the future.

“A lot of kids would go hungry if they did not have the supplies or hygiene they will get from this,” she said.

For those interested in answering the call, Timbs said the supply closet needs school supplies, personal hygiene items, basic household items and new clothing for younger children and teenagers.

She said there are Northeast Community Credit Union branches, specifically 980 Jason Witten Way and 1321 Highway 19E. At each location will be a drop-off box for patrons to put their donations into, where Timbs will then retrieve the items and send them to the supply closet itself.

“It is rewarding to see the differences it can make,” Timbs said. “You can see the joy on their faces.”

She said even though helping homeless families is the primary goal of the closet, they are not the only demographic who are eligible. Other families with needs are also welcome to stop by.

“I will pick up supplies from the drop-off locations on the first of every month,” she said.

The only kind of supplies she said they do not need is food, as they already receive donations from Second Harvest monthly.