Butler Academy Marks 100th Day Celebration with Food Drive

Hartsville, S.C., January 30, 2023 – As Butler Academy scholars and their teachers made preparations for fun “glow parties” to mark the 100th day of the school year, they challenged themselves to tie their class celebrations to a “can-do” winter food drive to warm the hearts of numerous families in our community.

The school-wide goal was to collect 500 cans of food (100 cans per grade) to donate to our local food bank.
True to themselves and to the high expectations of their families, members of the BA family collected 1,137 cans.

Accepting the donation on behalf of Hartsville Interfaith Ministries, which operates the food bank,
was Executive Director Beth Repko and Financial Officer Charlene Nelson. “Our emergency food bank provides much-needed assistance to local families and individuals and would not be possible without generous support from individuals and organizations like Butler Academy who roll up their sleeves to help,” said Repko. “We are very appreciative of Butler’s students and staff who made today’s donation possible.”

“At the heart of our school’s effort to create an enthusiastic culture of learning is our conviction that sustainable academic success is an outgrowth of strong character development,” said Butler President and Co-Founder Jerome Reyes. “A shared project like this one, that creates a shared benefit in our community, represents important academic learning opportunities and a chance for our scholars to put themselves in others' shoes to consider the role they can play in making our community a better place for everyone.

“As the January 2023 calendar rolled over the100th day of this school year, Butler’s school mantra, “I Can, You, Can, WE CAN,” whispers an apt affirmation to all of us. Even something as simple as a can of hearty soup can make a difference when it is joyfully given from one neighbor to another.”
Photo:
Front: Butler Academy Teacher Cassie Carpenter; Middle: scholars of Butler Academy’s fourth grade Vanderbilt University classroom; Back from left: Charlene Nelson, Beth Repko, and Butler Academy Dean of Culture Heidi Jones.

ABOUT BUTLER ACADEMY
Butler Academy, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school with a mission to create an enthusiastic culture of learning in which every student is expected and positioned to succeed academically. At Butler Academy, our core values inform and guide us in all aspects of what we do—from the classroom and playground to home and throughout the community. Commitment to our BRAVE core values (Belonging, Respect, Accountability, Vision, and Excellence) helps our organization stay united through a common
purpose. As an organization that highly values diversity, equity, and inclusion, our learning community is committed to rethinking all education policies and practices through the lens of equity to ensure that all our scholars thrive. Website: www.butleracademy.us

ABOUT HARTSVILLE INTERFAITH MINISTRIES
Hartsville Interfaith Ministries is a Christian ministry that was established in 1997. It was created to act as a coordinated extension for local churches by establishing relationships with DSS, utility companies, pharmacies and landlords to assure accurate information is obtained. It operates by appointment to give clients the necessary information concerning what to bring when they arrive for their interview. It also operates an EMERGENCY Food Bank on site to help those in our community who are in need of food, assisting once every 3 months.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Barbara Chappell, Vice President of Development, chappell@butleracademy.us, 843-309-9604 OFFICE, 814-397-9959 MOBILE