LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds of backpacks will be given out to school children at just one of many back-to-school events being held as the K-12 school year approaches.
What You Need To Know
- Multiple back-to-school events are planned leading up to the new school year
- Carter Elementary hosted a bookbag giveaway Tuesday
- 800 backpacks were collected and donated to families thanks to a grant from Louisville’s Office of Resilience and Community Services
As Kentucky students prepare to go back to school next month, thousands of families struggle to afford needed school supplies like backpacks. With the help of Louisville’s Office of Resilience and other partner agencies, Carter Elementary collected 800 backpacks filled with school supplies for families preparing for the upcoming school year.
“Families are grateful for every little thing because that takes one less thing off of their plate that they have to worry about paying for,” Stephanie Link said prior to the drive-through event on Tuesday. Link is the Family Resource Center Coordinator for Carter Elementary on Louisville’s West End.
The backpacks will go to JCPS families and families for nearby districts as well.
“We want every student to come in even if they don’t have the means to get it themselves. We want to provide them with the things that they need so they can be excited and ready to learn,” Link said Tuesday.
She’s excited for her 18th school year to begin and, along with her colleagues across JCPS, is also determined to help as many families as possible be prepared when classes start next month.
John Custis is the Family Resource Center Coordinator for Maupin Elementary, and said families continue to struggle to afford their children’s’ school supplies.
“Absolutely, inflation is in every aisle, every aisle of the store, every aisle of the grocery store. It’s hitting all of us,” Custis said.
“These items are more expensive. The backpacks are more expensive. The supplies themselves are more expensive, so this takes a load off from our families,” Link adds.
800 backpacks were assembled for this one event and paid for through a grant from Louisville’s Office of Resilience and Community Services. Any leftover backpacks will be given out at future back to school events, but considering how great the need is, no one will be surprised if they run out.
The next back-to-school event and backpack giveaway sponsored by the Office of Resilience and Community Services is happening this Saturday, July 30 at Olmsted Academy North from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.