As teachers and students across the Golden Triangle gear up for a new school year, community members are stepping in to make sure their needs are met before the first bell rings.
Several back to school events and school supplies drives are scheduled ahead of area districts’ first day of school next week.
In Columbus, Paroled2Pride will hand out almost 200 backpacks and free school supplies today at Fifteenth Street Church starting at 11 a.m.
Executive Director Sharon Jones said the organization is partnering with Saving Grace Ministry and First Cumberland Presbyterian Church to provide activities to keep students entertained and prepare them for their first day back, including games, free haircuts and free braiding.
“We’re also going to have some ministry because we believe in dealing with the total man,” she said. “And meeting the needs they need like school supplies but also meeting the need spiritually.”
Columbus Community Outreach is collecting school supplies through Aug. 5 for its annual Stuff the Bus initiative, Director Leonardo Dismukes told The Dispatch.
“We noticed that there are quite a bit of people taking up … supplies and bookbags and things of that nature,” he said. “So we thought, because it’s that time of year, starting the beginning of flu season, we’re going to receive Lysol, Clorox, any type of disinfectant (and) hand sanitizers.”
Along with disinfecting sprays and wipes and hand sanitizers, the Community Outreach Office is also collecting tissues, large pink erasers, blunt-tip Fiskars scissors, No. 2 pencils and loose leaf paper.
Donations can be dropped off at the Community Outreach Building at 1607 Main St. During the National Night Out event Aug. 5, Dismukes said a school bus will be loaded with the donations before they are delivered to schools in Columbus Municipal School District.
“We’re going to deliver those items that are collected to the various schools or to the central office whenever it’s approved for us to bring it,” he said. “… This year, we’re focusing on health and … staying healthy.”
Dante Harris and Chesteria Brown, founders of The Harris Initiative, will be accepting sponsors and donations for the nonprofit’s annual supplies drive. Harris told The Dispatch he hopes to have another five sponsors in addition to the 10 they already have before their Monday deadline.
“We’ve been taking donations and school supplies and different things all summer,” Harris said. “Next week … we’re going to go around to over five different schools – in West Point, New Hope, West Lowndes, Joe Cook (Elementary) and a few more schools that we’re lining up – and we’re just going to donate school supplies and bookbags to teachers (and) principals.”
Harris said the goal of the drive is to ensure teachers and students are starting the year off on the right foot.
“We hope … to basically just equip the teachers and the schools with the necessary tools that they’ll need to have a great school year,” Harris said. “So they don’t have to worry about, ‘I need to go get this,’ or (sharing) their Amazon wishlist or students coming in without certain supplies.”
Other upcoming activities include a Back to School Event from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at 3193 Hwy. 69 S. in Columbus hosted by Revive Church and Beersheba Cumberland Church. Along with waterslides and free food, the churches will be giving away backpacks with school supplies, haircuts, physicals and headphones. Students must be present.
2N1 Beauty and 2N1 Connections are giving away 100 free back to school hair cuts Sunday at 618 Alabama St. in Columbus. Call (662) 328-4807 to reserve a spot. 2N1 Beauty and 2N1 Connections are also collecting school supplies through Saturday for its annual backpack giveaway. Supplies can be dropped off at any location.
Northside Mission Baptist Church will also host a giveaway Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at 1501 Ninth Ave. N. The church will be giving away both school supplies and uniform tops.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
