Annual Back to School Bash continues to offer free resources to students, families

WARNER ROBINS – Lines of eager children and parents were seen throughout C.B. Watson Primary School for Houston County Family Connection’s 16th annual Back to School Bash on Friday, July 18.

Children are prepping early and getting ready to tackle another school year. The annual event provides free school supplies, haircuts and access to additional resources for both students and their families. New this year was a clothing closet where attendees could obtain free clothing and shoes. Another new resource at the event was free period products for girls, provided by Macon Periods Easier. Another new addition was the opportunity to sign up for a library card, allowing people to support local libraries.

Executive Director of Houston County Family Connection, Valkyrie Anderson, shared every year the organization partners with the Houston County School District. The event is hosted at three different sites throughout the county. The in-person event is hosted at the primary school, and the drive-thru sites are at Perry High School and Thomson Middle School. Any child new to the district can also receive their dental, hearing, and vision screenings at the in-person event. 

For the first time, the in-person event featured bounce houses and a DJ to entertain the kids while they received the resources they needed for a successful year. 

Most of the event’s sponsors attended the in-person event, where attendees walked through each table, completed a survey and received additional information on resources. Houston County School Nutrition also gave out free lunches to attendees. 

Included in the free backpacks were wide-ruled or college-ruled paper, colored pencils or crayons, pencil bags, number 2 pencils, pens, and glue sticks. Vendors also gave students scissors, highlighters and overall, the tools needed to be a successful student.

Anderson was very pleased with the turnout and described it as amazing. She shared there was a lot of stress leading up to the event, but she is thankful for her volunteers who worked hard to make the event a success. She said they stayed late every day to make sure the day runs smoothly.

“To see it all go the way it’s kind of supposed to go and see how many people are coming out, who still need these resources. I think it’s going to get more like that where families are going to need to rely on each other and on community resources more. We’re really happy to be able to do some of that,” she said.

Anderson has organized the event for approximately three years and has seen it grow over time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all of their sites hosted only drive-thru events. Initially, the event was hosted at only one school, but then two additional sites were added. She shared that once they returned to in-person events and started hosting it at the primary school, it began to grow even more. 

New additions, such as bounce houses, a DJ, period supplies, and a clothing closet, show how much the event has grown over the years. Services like the barbers who provide free haircuts return every year to help children get a new look for the new school year.

Anderson shared that they purchase 2,400 backpacks every year, an increase from previous years when they would purchase 1,800.

Sponsors and vendors have also changed over the years, but Anderson said faithful ones include the City of Warner Robins, Robins Financial Credit Union, First Presbyterian Church of Warner Robins and the Middle Georgia Community Action Agency.

Anderson said this event embodies the organization’s collaborative approach, which includes local, regional and state organizations. She shared they all come together and work on issues in the county. 

Anderson also shared they have amazing partner organizations who are a part of the collaborative. They all come together every month to meet and discuss the various strategies they are working on. Although the event is not part of their strategy, it is one of their programs that showcases the people they work with throughout the year. Anderson described it as the visible and tangible manifestation of their collaborative effort, with all their pieces coming together. 

She said they continue to host this event because there is still a need for it. Anderson believes people need resources and should be aware of programs being offered by companies like Flint Energies, for example. She also said that people need to know there are other organizations, such as the Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia, that they can reach out to if needed. 

“Of course it’s the school supplies that they love, they’re [always] like ‘where’s the backpacks?’ but it’s also just that they can touch base with these people and they [can] put a face to some of the organizations,” she said. 

Anderson said it is important for the organization to give back to its community because they are there and want to be a part of it. As Anderson took on her role, she has been able to enroll families in her literacy program and inform them about other activities they can participate in. 

Anderson gives thanks to the partner organizations, volunteers and Houston County Family Connection Collaborative Chair Stephanie Robinson for putting in extra time to put together the event.

“I’m only one person, my Houston County Family Connection position is just me but the collaborative is everybody. I can’t do this on my own; there would be no way so it really does take the whole community to pull this together,” she said. 

To learn more about Houston County Family Connection, click here.