District Five elementary school receives backpacks filled with supplies from USC sorority

Harbison West Elementary School recently received a generous donation from The University of South Carolina (USC) sorority Alpha Gamma Delta.

“I love the kindness in other people’s hearts and thinking about our students and thinking about the joy that they can bring through a small gesture is just wonderful,” said Brenna Lamprey, a fifth-grade teacher at Harbison West Elementary School.

Lamprey was on the receiving end of backpacks filled with schools supplies, clothes and toys for the students at Harbison West after her USC intern Andie Mullis reached out to her and asked if Alpha Gamma Delta could help.

Mullis said the plan was to give the backpacks away last school year, but the pandemic changed that. “Before COVID-19, we actually had an event for the chapter where we were given a budget and allowed to fill up backpacks with school supplies and other items students were in need of,” said Mullis. “I found the backpacks in our sorority office and texted Ms. Lamprey to see if the students at Harbison West could still use them and her response was “absolutely!””

Included in the fun-themed backpacks were school supplies such as notebooks, markers and scissors as well as clothes such as hats, gloves and socks and toys like a football and a giraffe stuffed animal.

Lamprey said the plan is to give the backpacks to the school counselor for her to determine which students need them the most.

Harbison West Elementary Principal Randy Norman was thrilled to be on the receiving end of the backpacks. He said, “It is just an awesome feeling when I see community members donating supplies to help our students be successful.”

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