With Back-to-School Events In Swing, JCPS Students Can Get Free Supplies

Jefferson County Public Schools is holding multiple events over the next two weeks to give out free school supplies to families.

More than a thousand students came to the back-to-school festival at Valley High School Thursday to pick up supplies. Families waited patiently in a line that wrapped around the building into the gym and cafeteria, where backpacks, supplies and an information fair awaited.

Soon-to-be kindergartner America Devoe showed off her new purple backpack filled with paper and folders. 

In addition to her backpack, America also got a lunch and her mom Tiffany Anderson got information about services the district offers. They said they enjoyed seeing so many different families come out for the festival.

Cheryl Vanlier came to the event with her grandson, and was happy she could also pick up a bag of supplies for her other grandson who was away at summer camp.

"School is expensive, and school supplies adds to the expense," said Vanlier. "It adds up. And you don’t always have that right at the beginning of the year, end of the summer, [you] just went on vacation, did a lot of things."

Anderson said she also appreciated seeing so many different families at the event.

"It's important for everyone to know that there is community, that there are people out there that do care," Anderson said. "It was a good experience for her to see other people of all kinds, to come together and let her know these are your peers, these are the people that you're going to be growing up with."

JCPS Family Resource & Youth Services Centers organized the event in conjunction with community partners. JCPS will continue to host similar events at sites throughout Jefferson County through August 11th:
Saturday, July 27:

Farnsley Middle Kindergarten ReadyFest, 3400 Lees Lane, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Emmanuel Assembly of God, 5701 Johnsontown Road, 6 – 8 p.m.

Thursday, August 1:

The Academy @ Shawnee, 4001 Herman Street, 1 – 4 p.m.

Friday, August 2: 

Cochran Elementary School, 500 W. Gaulbert Avenue, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Saturday, August 3:

Lighthouse Community Center, 5312 Shepherdsville Road, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Olmsted Academy North, 4530 Bellevue Avenue, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Meyzeek Middle School, 828 S. Jackson Street, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Thursday, August 8:

Southwick Community Center, 3621 Southern Avenue, 4 – 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 10:

Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 1503 Rangeland Road, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sunday, August 11:

New Birth Church, 3301 Linda Lane, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.