US Shipbuilder's Helping Hand to School Students

HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division donates  more than 20,000 school supplies to assist about 1,000 area students.

"HII stresses the importance of education and encourages our employees to get involved in their communities," said Chavis Harris, NNS' director, EEO, diversity and corporate citizenship. "School Tools allows us to engage in both. We are shipbuilders, but we are parents and grandparents too and equipping our youth for a successful school year is a very worthy cause."

Shipbuilders donated a variety of school supplies, including 6,258 pencils, 4,386 ball point pens and 911 packs of paper. The supplies were sorted and delivered Friday to area departments of social services, Newport News Public Schools Administration and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula as part of United Way's Day of Caring.

"We truly appreciate Newport News Shipbuilding's involvement that enables us to help our families in need," said Cheryl Ferreira, social worker for York County and the City of Poquoson. "The beginning of the school year is a stressful time, especially for parents who are struggling financially, and the donation of school supplies not only helps prepare children for the school year, but helps to alleviate that stress."

In the picture: Shipbuilders (left to right) Darryl Dildy, Paula Young and Gary Guye help pack some of the 1,028 glue bottles and glue sticks donated in Newport News Shipbuilding's School Tools initiative.