JOHN COFFELTEditor

Manchester City School’s longtime student support program served about 220 students July 27 at Westwood Elementary School.

Program organizer BJ Sylvia said students receive a backpack, school supplies, a shoe voucher, hygiene products, a grocery bag of food, and household cleaning products.

“We have around 20-30 community partners… to let the families know what ways the help, whether it’s mental health services, insurance or how to get them on the Human Resource website,” Sylvia said.

“We want all of our students to be comfortable and feel like they are on a level playing field as their peers when school starts,” she said. “It’s super important for us that they are set up to be successful in the classroom.”

Community Table, and outreach program of Community Church was one of the groups that helped with the event.

“We just love the kids,” Community Table volunteer Ansley Hall said. “We want to fulfill some of their needs and show them our love.”

Community Table provided care packages to families at WeCARE in addition to the free community closet that it offers at Community Church on McArthur Street and hot meals at 5:30 p.m. on the first, fourth and fifth Thursdays of the month.

Sylvia is the MCS Family Resource Coordinator. That department also organizes the Angel Tree program at Christmastime, an October coat drive, a drug free week and hygiene product drive and regular grab and go events that provide a range of items free to families in need.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.