GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Charles E. Bennett Elementary is home to many low-income students who need help. Local State Farm insurance agent Diane Banks decided to do something about it.

With the help of community members and her company, she purchased back to school kits for both students and teachers. State Farm let their agents know that they had secured the partnership that would allow for excellent pricing for school supplies.

“State Farm partnered with educationalproducts.com, and they negotiated some lower prices for orders that came from State Farm agents,” said Banks. “I live in an area where people struggle with their income, and I thought, you know, even the purchase of a pen or a pencil is tough these days because of COVID and people being unemployed, etc. Not to mention the struggles that they have already. And so, it just made sense to me to partner up with the elementary school, Charles E. Bennet, which is right around the corner from me and offer to purchase some school supplies for them.”

Banks was able to purchase 53 teacher supply kits at a cost of $9.89 each. She had a budget of $500 to buy the supplies. The kits are integral to the reopening of school, with the COVID-19 pandemic still a significant health concern. The packages included facial tissues, disinfectant wipes, dry erase markers and hand sanitizer. She also personally donated $500, and State Farm matched that contribution. The school then received the additional $1,000 to use as it saw fit.

“I spoke with the assistant principal at the school [Charles E. Bennett] to get feedback from her on what they needed because I could have purchased student kits, teacher kits, or just backpacks,” said Banks. “And she told me, and I’m glad I talked to her because they had already collected enough student supplies, pretty much for every student who was going to school there. She said they were having a really difficult time getting the new disinfectant that teachers needed to have.”

That worked out perfectly, as the teacher kits already contained plenty of those items. They felt that it would be much more helpful to get the teacher kits, as they had plenty of supplies for the students.

Banks, whose office is located on Idlewild Avenue, sees Bennett Elementary students pass her office daily during the school year.

“I insure a lot of people in the community. Many of them bring their kids into the community,” she said when asked why she decided to get involved in the virtual back to school drive. “And my office is right on the path of where they would walk to and from school every day. I would see the kids, and I just felt like it was important to try and support the community in whatever way I could.”

COVID-19 was the inspiration behind the virtual drive, but Banks now hopes it can be replicated annually. She has sent flyers to other businesses in the area and also the Green Cove Springs board of commissioners.

“My hope is that it’ll become a tradition of sorts,” she said. “And we can continue to do it year over year.”