Get back into learning mode with Love INC’s Back to School Bash
Area families who want an inexpensive way to purchase all of their children's school supplies may want to join in the fun of the Love INC Back to School Bash on Sunday, Aug. 12. Families can pick out top-quality supplies for very little money at this annual event.
August means plenty of heat, pool fun, the county fair and of course kids heading back to the school scene as they prepare for the new year to begin.
In what has become an annual August tradition, students join their parents in search of a laundry list of items necessary for the new school year, and with a lengthy list of items to purchase, the cost of supplies can be a burden when on a fixed budget.
Love INC of Greater Holmes County is set to help ease that financial burden on families by presenting its annual Back to School Bash at the Millersburg Christian Church Life Center at 189 N. Clay St. in Millersburg on Sunday, Aug. 12 from 6-8 p.m.
“It’s a fun night for families to come out and enjoy an evening together while at the same time purchasing some really affordable school supplies,” Love INC director Vicki Conn said. “School supplies can add up quickly, and this is one way we can help parents provide for their children and keep those expenses manageable.”
Conn said a number of area churches held fundraisers through their Vacation Bible School programs to donate money toward the purchase of new school supplies. Families will be invited to come into the center to shop, and all of the items have been marked down to extremely low costs for parents.
Love INC has acquired the necessary school supply lists from each of Holmes County’s school districts, and families can use those checklists to make sure they have all of the necessary supplies.
“Kids can come in and pick out whatever colors and styles they want, so it gives them some nice ownership in the process of creating their very own school supplies,” Conn said.
While the big Back to School Bash will be Sunday, Aug. 12, the giving from Love INC won’t stop there. This year it is expanding its service to the community and providing some other key essentials for the new school year. That includes haircuts, shoes and clothing distribution as they prepare to help families create a new look to go with their new supplies.
“We did the haircuts and shoes last year, and we are adding the clothing this year,” Conn said. “The third voucher we are offering this year is for clothing from Save & Serve in Millersburg. They provided some grant money to purchase new underwear and socks, and then families can go shop for clothing at Save & Serve on a designated evening that was set aside just for this purpose.”
As for the haircuts and shoes, Love INC added those to its Back to School Bash last year, and Conn said they were an immediate hit.
The shoes were part of Love INC’s partnership with Faith Bible Church in Millersburg while the haircuts are provided by a number of area hair stylists, allowing families to obtain haircuts from stylists among a list.
“The haircuts were around $3, and we had so many people come back and tell us how wonderful that was,” Conn said. “It is amazing what a nice haircut can do for a child’s self-esteem.”
In order to receive the haircuts, shoes and clothing vouchers, students must be present on Sunday, Aug. 12 to receive their vouchers.
In addition to the school supplies, Love INC also will provide plenty of fun activities for the kids on Aug. 12. There will be live worship music, cookies and soft ice cream to eat, games in the yard, and a playground, providing plenty of opportunities for the kids to relax and have fun as their summer vacation winds down.
“It’s a neat way to bring our community together,” Conn said of the event. “It’s all about connecting with and helping area families who might be experiencing a financial crunch at school time."
Of last year's event, Conn said, "We heard so many times how grateful people were that they were able to get those school supplies at an affordable cost. The goal was to create something that was affordable for families on a tight budget.”
From glue, pencils and pens to notebooks, rulers, binders and even backpacks, families could purchase just about everything a student might need for school for around $4 per child.
Conn said it is all thanks to the kindness of the many donors who made the event possible. She added that just because the event is over, it doesn’t mean students can’t still obtain school supplies.
“Should a student run out of supplies, we do have a church connected with Love INC that focuses on providing school supplies,” Conn said. “All they have to do is call the Love INC office, and we can connect them with the church to get them what they need.”
While shopping for school supplies inside the center is important, Conn said providing other activities including praise and worship teams playing music throughout the evening and volunteers helping head up a number of activities designed to keep the youngsters busy is just as important because one objective for Love INC is to share the gospel and to help connect families into area churches.
“A lot of families walked away with a binder, some pens and pencils, and a lot of supplies, but our prayer is that they will walk away with a lot more than that,” Conn said. “Our hope is that we are able to show families God’s goodness while at the same time showing them that our community cares about them in helping them to meet a big need as school kicks off.”
No registration is necessary to attend the event. Families can simply show up ready to fill their school supply lists and ready to have a great time.