Donations of school supplies and uniforms are requested to help prepare children who have lost a parent to violence, as well as others in need, to prepare to go back to school.More Info
*The following items are suggested donations for local students in need:BookbagsNotebook paperUniform pants, shorts and shirtsTennis shoesPencilsCrayonsMarkersNotebooksFoldersHand sanitizerIndex cardsMonetary donations to purchase uniforms, tennis shoes and bookbags as well as food, beverages and inflatables for the event.*Donations need to be dropped off at Eastdale YFD by Friday, July 29.
Eastdale Youth and Family Development Center is hosting the Rock the Block Back to School event to help area children – particularly those who have lost a parent to violence in 2016 – prepare to go back to school with free haircuts, new uniforms and school supplies donated by the community.
The event is Saturday, Aug. 6 from noon to 4 p.m., though donations are requested by July 29.
The event is the brainchild of Eastdale YFD employee Chris Johnson, Hamilton County Schools nurse Shederyl Stewart and BlueCross BlueShield social worker Staci Williams.
Through the community center, Williams mentors two girls, both of whom lost a parent to violence this year. This prompted her to look into other ways to help children who have been affected by violence in the city, and she and Johnson were able to identify 51 Hamilton County schoolchildren, most under the age of 14, who have lost one of their parents to murder this year, she said.