CV Products and Communities In Schools of Thomasville are forming a partnership to help low-income students on free or reduced lunches eat healthy meals during the weekend.

Extending a program that started at Thomasville Primary School, CV Products and CIS of Thomasville are providing needy students at Liberty Drive Elementary with a carepack full of food to last them through the weekend when school is out. CV Products, a Thomasville-based company that distributes racing parts and accessories, is hoping other companies will join in and help out the nine out of 10 Thomasville City Schools’ students who receive free or reduced lunches.

“That was astonishing to me that 90 percent of the students in the city schools are on free or reduced lunch right here,” Melissa Blackwell, a marketing communications specialist with CV Products, said. “We would like for this to be a focus for a call to action. We’re not asking for contributions. CV Products wants to issue a challenge to other companies in the community to get involved.”

Employees of CV Products and Xceldyne Technologies, a sister company that also is headquartered at 42 high Tech Boulevard, have been bringing in food for the program, as well as donating money through payroll deductions. Every Thursday, volunteers sort out the donated food items and fill up customized backpacks to be handed out Friday afternoon. CV Products designed the backpacks that sport the company and the CIS logo.

“It’s not just the community in this building but we’re part of the community at large,” said Blackwell. “We really want to stay involved and help the Thomasville community. Our biggest call isn’t for recognition, we really want to get other organizations to step up and help the children out.”

A similar program was already in place at TPS, but not Liberty Drive, spurring CIS members to change that fact. CV Products stepped in and ensured the backpack program will run through the end of the summer.

“CV Products heard the call,” CIS of Thomasville Director Judy Younts said. “We need the help of everybody out there to take care of our children because it will come back to us. They’re going to be in our businesses, working for you or stealing from you. We want taxpayers, not tax takers. This all goes toward that.”

Susan Upton, Liberty Drive’s CIS coordinator, said that when students get the call on Friday to come pick up their backpacks, the sound resembles a herd of elephants running down the hall. Davidson County’s unemployment has been above 12 percent for more than a year, and the current economic recession has impacted families throughout Thomasville. Upton said students are issued backpacks on a need basis through teacher referrals, and 21 children currently receive the food every week.

“The kids are so excited about the backpacks,” said Upton. “Other kids ask where they can get one. There’s no name on it so there’s no embarrassment factor. It’s not expensive. If one person were to do it, then maybe it would be expensive. But if one person picks up a box of macaroni, it’s not. For CV Products to do payroll deduction, if even if it’s $1 a week, that’s incredible.”

Younts said all food items are selected based on nutrition, keeping up with TCS’ policy of providing children with a healthy diet. The backpacks are colored red and black, LDE’s school colors.

“If the child isn’t getting the right nutrition, they’re not going to be able to learn,” said Younts. “This hits and focuses on so many things. I can’t say enough about the partnership with CV Products. We’ve come in and they have heard us. Parents have difficult decisions to make when it comes to paying rent or electricity, not to mention buying groceries. When a child comes up in a community that cares, that child will care about the community.”

For information about Communities In Schools of Thomasville, call 474-4233.

Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 888-3578, or duke@tvilletimes.com.