Children cheer during an assembly after St. Luke United Methodist Church donated T-shirts emblazoned with a new school logo for every student.
Rivermont Elementary teacher Kelsey Brown hands out new uniforms to her students. The T-shirts are thanks to a grant written by St. Luke UMC Pastor Evelyn Harris.
Rivermont Elementary students Christopher Russell, left, and Micah Garner put on their new T-shirts.
Rivermont Elementary students have St. Luke United Methodist Church to thank for some snazzy new uniforms they received in March. St. Luke Pastor Evelyn Harris wrote a grant to get money for the school to buy the uniforms, and also solicited donations from the congregation to ensure the school could afford uniforms for every student and faculty member.
Rivermont is on the federal Community Eligibility Provision, meaning all of its students receive free breakfast and lunch every day. However, Harris estimated that even if every student wasn’t already getting free meals through the CEP, a majority would qualify for free or reduced-price lunch by need, anyway.
Harris said seeing the kids’ excitement over the new T-shirts was something she won’t soon forget.
“I think it was a really big deal for them. Regardless of a child’s income, having something of their own is a very special thing,” said Harris. “I’ve already had kids come up to thank ‘the T-shirt lady,’ but I tell them it’s not about me. We just wanted to let them know they’re loved and cared for.”
Email Shane Foley at sfoley@timesfreepress.com.