Teachers are regularly having to pay out of their own pockets in order to meet the needs of their students. According to multiple sources, 94% of public school teachers use their own money for school-related necessities. Our local teachers also pay out of pocket to serve their students who cannot afford school supplies and these future Bulldogs need our help ... but one of Wingate's current Bulldogs answered this call to serve in a creative and collaborative way! Sophomore bulldog Isabella Walle, in partnership with Heart for Monroe, created Chalk It Up To Love - East to address this issue and support our future Bulldogs. Walle started this program in her freshman year at Wingate as a Collaborative for the Common Good (CCG) intern. She markets to local businesses and churches, collects donations, packages the supplies (requested through an online system set up by Walle), and distributes once a month to local teachers.

In 2020 Chalk It Up to Love - East provided major school-related items needed for students to be successful in the classroom (such as pencils, notebooks, coloring utensils, erasers, loose leaf paper, binders, and even special event items that teachers need to help students learn) to four Title I schools in the eastern part of Union County: Marshville Elementary, Wingate Elementary, East Union Middle, and Forest Hills High. And since this service is so needed, Walle and Heart for Monroe expanded to start serving Union Elementary and Rock Rest Elementary in 2021. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses, Walle's Bulldog peers, and local churches Chalk East has supported so many future Bulldogs but more donations are needed due to financial pressures caused by COVID-19.

Last year monetary donations ($9800) and in-kind donations ($2500) alongside 590 hours of sweat equity to pack 177 bags of supplies by volunteers helped CHALK make our local community stronger. Already this year we have packed over 88 bags for local teachers at the February event -- with many more anticipated in the future. We cannot do it without the help of the Bulldog community! If you have $ please donate, or drop off school supplies at the CCG (in Austin Auditorium office) or come help distribute bags in an early ODOD event on March 30th or a post ODOD celebration event April 29th at 2:45pm at Wingate Elementary School.

Learn more about Chalk It Up to Love here.