BROOKINGS – Faith Reformed Church is getting ready for its Back 2 School event set from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. On Monday night, a group of folks, including these girls (above), organized school supplies into bins and under tables. There’s everything from loose-leaf paper to plastic boxes and everything that goes in them.
Below, Dawn Johnson and her sons, Drew, 10, and Ty, 7, sorted hundreds of backpacks of different styles and colors. Johnson said they expected to serve more than 500 students.
Pencils were in abundant supply and Abby Enevoldsen, bottom, Ainsley Powers, center, and Holly Munsterman were kept busy. Enevoldsen and Powers were there with the FCCLA group, and Munsterman came to keep her friends company.
Volunteers will be available to help families gather the supplies they need because the lists vary from grade to grade and even from school to school, said Lexi Seeley, who was sorting pens into bins. She is on the Backpack Program Committee and is a school counselor at Camelot Elementary.
Families in need who have registered should have gotten a card, said Joyce Wrage, a member of the Back 2 School Committee. Those who have not registered should come at 7 p.m.
Faith Reformed started the program in 2007 “for the children of Brookings County,” Wrage said. Most of the school supplies come from individuals, organizations, businesses and churches. The Salvation Army donates most of the backpacks with others coming from individuals.
“Such a community thing,” Wrage said. “Just a wonderful thing, people coming together.”
