The Habersham County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday supplied 600 Habersham County School System students with school supplies ahead of the new semester.
According to a press release from the agency, all supplies were donated to sheriff’s office school resource officers by county residents to meet the needs of students within the community.
“We were overwhelmed by the response we received from the public,” Crime Scene Tech/Evidence Manager Kayla Neal, who helped organize the event again this year, said. “The line extended almost to the roadway before even opening the gates for the event. It’s obvious to us that there is a need in our county for this event. We plan to continue this event next year and hopefully provide more supplies.”
In years past, students would receive a bag of supplies. However, this year, families lined up at the Habersham County Fairgrounds where students were able to pick up a backpack to fill with any necessities for the student’s classes until 6:45 p.m. when all donated supplies were fully exhausted.
“Parents and students seemed to really appreciate the event,” Neal said. “Students were happy to be able to pick out their very own backpacks, notebooks, and supplies.”
The Sheriff's Office also noted that the event was a success thanks to community partners.
“We’d like to specifically thank the Family Resource Center, FAITH’s Powerhouse for Kids, North Georgia Technical College, and Ruby Elite Pageantry for their support during this event,” Neal said. “All were on-site during the event, providing additional supplies, resources, and a helping hand to the families that attended.”
Despite the event coming to an end, the need for supplies is always prevalent. Anyone who wanted to donate school supplies but did not have a chance prior to the event can drop them off to the school resource officer at their child’s school, or to the office at their neighborhood school.
“Our SROs would be happy to help out any time during the school year,” Neal said.
