Tellico Village Kiwanis Club, Malibu Boats and both school district Family Resource Centers worked together Thursday to ensure students had back-to-school needs met.

Families of 50 students ranging from pre-schoolers to high school seniors lined up in the lawn and garden section of Walmart in Lenoir City to receive a certificate from Kiwanis and Malibu before getting the go-ahead to begin shopping for shoes and clothing.

Families were encouraged to visit Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County if they needed help with school supplies, Susan Fox, Lenoir City Family Resource Center director, said. Items were purchased through $100 gift cards that covered each child. In total, $5,000 was given.


“We are looking for support in clothing, shoes, the other things that children would need coming back to school, because there are several different entities in our community that do back-to-school supplies, like the Good Samaritan Center, so we actually discourage the families from selecting school supplies,” Fox said. “... It takes a lot for children to be in school and have all the things that it takes sometimes to start the new school year. School supplies can be expensive and backpacks and things like that, and families are already stretched. This gives an added layer of support to a family, but for us it is a relationship-building activity. We see the families in an outside setting, it’s not in the school setting.

“They get a little bit to know us and who we are, and so if there is something that arises throughout the school year then they’re going to remember, ‘Hey, I met that person at the start of the year. I can go to them’,” she added. “It’s more about building (a) relationship with our families.”

The effort by Kiwanis to provide support for students dates back to 2000.

“It’s a big deal,” Fox said. “I mean $5,000 is a lot of money and the fact that they work, the Kiwanis Club works really hard for the dollars that they put back into the community, and so we’re real proud to be an opportunity for our families and children to be selected.”

Malibu Boats has participated for five years, Debbie Kent, vice president of human resources, said.

“First of all, it supports the community, and our employees live in the community so we feel like by supporting the community we’re supporting our employees,” Kent said. “These children, it’s important for them to have the supplies they need, the clothes, that type of thing to get started off well in school. We think that’s important, and these kids hopefully one day will come to work for Malibu at some point.”

This year’s effort was coordinated by Jerry and Laura Wrubel, replacing longtime coordinator Bob Frazer. The mission for Kiwanis was to “simply serve children,” Jerry said.

“I was at this event last year and I finished, and I had this Kiwanis shirt on, and I was walking through the store,” Beth Mouse, Tellico Village Kiwanis president, said. “A lady came up to me and she was crying and she took my hands, and I said, ‘Ma’am, can I help you?’ She said, ‘No, you’ve just helped me.’ I said, ‘How do you mean?’ She said, ‘I saw your Kiwanis shirt and I want to tell you that I have three children and only have enough to get shoes for one child. Because of you now I can get shoes for all three of my children.’ It was very moving for me and very touching.”

Cindy Purdy, Loudon County Family Resource Center director, said students are chosen based upon referrals from teachers and are generally unable to participate two consecutive years.

Exceptions are made for “major events,” including a house fire, death of a parent or some other life-altering occurrence, Fox said.

“From the child’s perspective it boosts self-esteem. They walk in school with their head held up,” Purdy said. “New school clothes makes you feel good, so they’re walking in ready to go.”

The new clothing helps children get started on the right foot for school, while families also have one less expenditure to worry about, Purdy said.

Alison Selvidge echoed the sentiment as she prepared to shop for her two children.

“It helps so much,” Selvidge said. “There never seems to be quite enough to get the bills and then when school comes around it’s always a struggle trying to find those extra funds to get what they need. It was a definitely a blessing.”