By Erica Jones
On Wednesday, July 24, the Dawson County School System distributed several hundred backpacks full of school supplies to local families in need.
Niki Mincey, the family services coordinator for Dawson County Schools, said that she and her team have been collecting school supplies for months, along with the help of Dawson County Family Connection and several local churches and other organizations.
“We had over 200 applications for a total of over 450 backpacks requested so we packed 550 just to be safe,” Mincey said. “Browns Bridge helped us with a lot of supplies, Family Connection and then just so many different churches and community partners.”
This year for the backpack distribution event, Dawson County Schools partnered with several other local organizations to provide a kind of “one-stop shop” for each family’s back-to-school needs.
Local nonprofit The Place gave each family who came through a box and a bag of food, as well as information and resources about other services The Place provides, assistance signing up for federal benefits, and more.
“We just want to let people know that we’re here and just really encourage the parents that they’re doing a great job and wish the kids a great school year,” Outreach Coordinator Amy Palmer said. “We love being here and we love partnering with the school system; we’re so honored.”
On July 24, the Dawson County School System distributed hundreds of backpacks and school supplies to families in need in the community. Photos by Erica Jones Dawson County News
Volunteers pass backpacks full of school supplies in through local families’ windows during Dawson County Schools’ annual backpack distribution event.
“Coming out of COVID, we lost a lot of our ministries — so we asked people to pour out for this collection and they did,” Wesley Chapel Pastor Gary Moore said. “And while we’re here we’re building connections and relationships here, so figuring out how we can partner with these other groups.”
Families were also given access to car seat checks and new car seats from the Dawson County Health Department, as well as the chance to sign up for back-to-school clothing through local nonprofit K.A.R.E. for Kids.
Mincey and her team were grateful for the support of each of these organizations and of the individuals who signed up to volunteer their time helping with the distribution, she said.
“I’m so excited about the turnout and the buy-in from the community; that’s
been the biggest blessing we have is that people signed up to come out and stand in the sun for eight hours and volunteer because it makes kids smile,” Mincey said. “If they have brand new shoes on their feet, they have to look up because they’re happy, and they have new bags on their back, so literally they’re putting their best foot forward.”
The school system is always accepting donations of new backpacks and school supplies as well as new shoes and socks. To learn more about how you can donate backpacks and more to the children in Dawson County Schools, reach out to Mincey at niki.mincey@dawsoncountyschools.org.
