LaFAYETTE, Ga.—With the start of the school year just ahead—classes in Walker County begin Thursday—several hundred parents and their children turned out for some free school supplies.
On Saturday, the nonprofit Christian ministry Kids 4 Christ held its ninth annual Back 2 School Blast. It handed out well over 300 backpacks loaded with spiral notebooks, paper and pencils, thanks to generous donations from the community.
“I think this is the earliest they’ve lined up and the longest the line has been,” said Gail Marks, the organization’s founder and director.
LaFayette father of two Adam Fink said this is the first time he has attended the event. And he’s glad he did.
“With the way the checklist for school [supplies] has been going ... it’s hard to come up with enough money to get everything,” Fink said.
And then there were the repeat customers, like 12-year-old Thalea Scott who attends LaFayette Middle School. She learned about this good deal several years ago.
“I think it’s cool,” Scott said.
Officials at the ministry said their target audience is children who live in LaFayette, but that people came from as far north as Rossville and as far south as Chattooga County to take them up on their offer of free school supplies and book bags.
“We have actually had teachers call us and say, ‘We have a kid here with a paper sack. Can you help us out?’” Marks said.
And for the first time this year, children were offered free haircuts by professional stylists who provided their skill and clippers.
“If you stop and you think, and you’re a single mom ... you’re talking a whole bunch of money,” Marks said. “This really helps them out, not to have to buy the backpacks, not to have to get the haircuts.”
The free school supplies helped out Hannah Deal. The LaFayette resident, who has two children in school, says she is holding down two jobs these days, after her husband lost his job.
“I’m very impressed to see people still have the heart to help people,” Deal said.
Timothy Bradfield covers Walker County. Contact him at timothyb2010@gmail.com.
related articles »
A Back 2 School Blast in LaFayette, Ga., on Saturday will help get Walker County students ready to start classes ...
A man is in jail on a burglary charge after police said he admitted to climbing through an unlocked window ...
A former elementary school was transformed into an art gallery to display about 4,000 works of art by students of ...
LaFAYETTE, Ga. -- Where better to get a history lesson than at what's believed to be the oldest standing brick ...
Look at all those wellfare divas looking for a handout. Why don't those people get jobs like the rest of us.
I'm speaking for Kids 4 Christ:
Quite a few of the parents do have jobs, but buying supplies and bags for 3/4/5 kids can turn into real money. We also had some here who are disabled, and some who cannot find jobs - LaFayette doesn't have a lot of career opportunity, and some cannot afford to move anywhere else. Regardless of the family situation, what was done Saturday was to help kids have tools they need to be successful in school. School is hard enough normally, even worse when your school supplies consist of a Walmart bag with a pencil and three broken crayons. We don't believe in punishing the kids for their parents' bad choices; that's the only way to break cycles of poverty that families can be trapped in for generations.
Also note that everything distributed was provided by local churches and individuals, or purchased with donated funds. There was no tax money or government support involved - some have commented about welfare, taxes, and whatnot but this has nothing to do with those subjects. We were showing the love of Christ for people by providing for kids' physical needs, using materials acquired through private support.
We welcome anyone to come by K4C and see what we do and how we're supported. Our address is 108 W. Withers Street in LaFayette. We also have a Facebook, which is linked from our Web site referenced above.
Or login with:
New Account