Grace Pointe church wants to make sure that Avondale students have everything they need to have a successful school year.
The church is hosting its second annual Back-To-School Bash from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.
At a glance
› Friday, Aug. 3: Grace Pointe church’s second annual Back-to-School Bash, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Avondale Youth and Family Development Center, 1305 Dodson Ave. For more information, email Yolanda Castillio at info@gpchatt.com.› Saturday, Aug. 4: Rock the Block, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Brainerd Youth and Family Development Center, 1010 N. Moore Road. To donate, call Staci Williams at 423-486-7992, Chris Johnson at 423-838-3267 or Shawn Tatum at 423-902-2989.› Saturday, Aug. 4: Parent University, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.› Saturday, Aug. 4: The Glenwood Recreation Center, 2610 E. 3rd St., will host a Back to School Bash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.› Through Monday, Aug. 6: Supplies for Orchard Knob Elementary students may be dropped off at 423 St. Francis, 423 E. M.L. King Blvd.; The Feed Co. Table + Tavern, 201 W. Main St.; and Sluggo’s North, 505 Cherokee Blvd. Updates will be announced via social media @modernhippie.us or @home_bound_books on Instagram. Or email contact.modernhippie@gmail. com or HomeBoundBooks16@gmail.com.› Wednesday, Aug. 8: First day of school for Hamilton County students.› Tuesday, Aug. 14: The Nehemiah Project distributes book bags filled with school supplies to 6,500 students in 12 Title I schools. Still needed: about 500 boxes of Crayola crayons and about $2,000 for paper. Donors may contact project coordinator Kelley Andrews at 423-316-3744 to help.› Tuesday, Aug. 14: Last day of the Samaritan Center’s school assistance program. To schedule an appointment, call 423-238-7777 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. For more information, go to stocktheirlockers.com.› Through Aug. 31: Hixson’s Morning Pointe Assisted Living & Memory Care, located at 5501 Old Hixson Pike, is collecting donations for students and teachers at Skyuka Hall. Supplies maybe dropped off at Morning Pointe.› Ongoing: Northside Neighborhood House maintains its wish list of school supplies for area families at www.nnhouse.org/schoolshop. Or give a monetary donation at www.nnhouse.org/donate.
Book bags filled with school supplies, free haircuts, hair styling and hygiene kits including deodorant and sanitary napkins will be among items donated.
Pastor Marcellus Barnes says the church included the hygiene items after talking to girls who said they missed school on some days because they had no money for sanitary napkins.
"We are coming with deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and things that food stamps don't buy," says Barnes. "We're trying to reach holistically the community in spiritual and practical ways."
The Glenwood Recreation Center, 2610 E. 3rd St., will host a Back to School Bash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4.
The East Chattanooga church is among dozens of churches and organizations supplying school supplies to students from various schools and communities.
Hixson's Morning Pointe Assisted Living & Memory Care is collecting donations through August for students and teachers at Skyuka Hall, a private school for students with learning differences on Mountain Creek Road.
Supplies may be dropped off at Morning Pointe at 5501 Old Hixson Pike.
"They've come here several times to perform for us, and they're just so sweet," receptionist Matil Richard says of the students. "They've made little things for the residents, and residents really appreciate it and want to give back."
All school supplies are needed, she says.
Modern Hippie and HomeBoundBooks have teamed up to help students at Orchard Knob Elementary prepare for the new school year. The motivation behind the back-to-school drive, organizers say, is to emphasize the importance of a thriving community and to bring everyone together to start making positive changes in the lives of the local youth.
"Not only are we gathering supplies for the children, but we are helping teachers and parents in the process," says Kelsey Butler, founder of HomeBoundBooks, a local book donation program that provides elementary students with resources they need to continue reading outside the classroom.
Harlan Groves, director of Modern Hippie, says the goal for the back-to-school drive is in keeping with the mission of Modern Hippie: "to inspire youth to help others and give back to their community."
Supplies may be dropped off through Monday at clothing store 423 St. Francis and restaurants The Feed Co. Table + Tavern and Sluggo's North. Any basic school supplies are accepted, anything from paper and pencils to lunchboxes and backpacks.
The Nehemiah Project will distribute more than 6,500 backpacks filled with school supplies to 12 Title I Hamilton County schools on Aug. 14. Project coordinator Kelley Andrews says she's operating on faith that everything will be supplied, but she still needs about 500 boxes of Crayola crayons and about $2,000 for more paper. She says The Nehemiah Project has served the community with school supplies for students for 17 years.
In the Brainerd area, City Councilman Russell Gilbert says Rock the Block organizers seek to help at least 1,000 children at their third annual event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Brainerd Youth and Family Development Center. The event offers backpacks, school uniforms, supplies, haircuts and hair styling.
Hamilton County Schools has partnered with the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and First Things First to launch Parent University where they will distribute school supplies. The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at First Tennessee Pavilion.
The Samaritan Center in Ooltewah has an entire store of school supplies and book bags available to east Hamilton County residents with low incomes. Residents in the area who need assistance may go to the Samaritan Center's website, stocktheirlockers.com, to apply. The school assistance program ends Aug. 14.
The Samaritan Center serves low-income families in nine communities: Apison, Birchwood, Collegedale, East Brainerd/Tyner, Georgetown, Harrison, Highway 58/Bonny Oaks, McDonald and Ooltewah.
On Friday, Northside Neighborhood House partnered with school officials and nonprofit organizations to host two Back-to-School Bashes to register students and prepare them for a successful school year.
"We had an overwhelming response to our inaugural Back-to-School Bash in Red Bank last year and helped register over 280 students at the event," says Rachel Gammon, CEO at Northside Neighborhood House. "As a result, we wanted to expand our reach to the Sale Creek community and help even more families this year, especially with the new online registration process [in Hamilton County Schools]."
NNH expected to serve about 1,000 students and their families at the events. Donations are still welcome for ongoing needs at www.nnhouse.org/donate.
In 2016, Northside Neighborhood House partnered with Hamilton County Department of Education to pilot the first community school in Hamilton County at Red Bank High School. An initiative of Chattanooga 2.0, community schools are designed to provide wraparound support services to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of the community where the school is located. The NNH will open a community school at Hixson Middle School this fall and will also offer programming at North Hamilton County Elementary School to better support students, teachers and parents.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.