“This is what churches should do, and I love that we have some 40 churches a part of it,” Tom Porter, Chaplain for Limestone County Churches Involved, Inc., told The News Courier Tuesday at LCCI’s Daisy and John McCormack Free School Supplies Distribution.
“We’ve got Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, really all kinds of churches are involved in us getting these valuable resources out to families in need,” Porter said at the evening giveaway on July 30. “A lot of times, people think that churches have so many differences and refuse to work together. Well, here in Limestone County we work well together.”
The yearly event, which is named in honor of two longtime volunteers, was held at First United Methodist Church’s Youth Center at 203 N. Jefferson Street. LCCI held two distribution times to cater to parents’ different work schedules, one from 9-11 a.m. and the other from 5-6 p.m.
While the inside of the center was lined with hundreds of backpacks filled with folders, papers and notebooks, the outside of the building was lined with dozens of families who waited patiently for them to open the doors.
“We had a huge crowd this morning with a line that went around the corner,” Porter said. “Last year, we gave out 620 bags in total. This year, we’ve already got more than 800 bags set up.”
Director of LCCI Sarah Caldwell said that the churches have rallied to raise the donations necessary for the huge back-to-school supply giveaway for the past few weeks.
“We had the churches just rocking and rolling for the past two to three weeks,” Caldwell said. “Everyday they would come with donations, and we’ve spent days just sorting and organizing everything to get it ready for today.”
Caldwell noted that in the morning time giveaway alone, they distributed 580 backpacks — and she said she expected to give out more than 100 more in the evening time slot.
“We are here to help low-income and struggling families, no matter the issue,” Caldwell said. “When a child goes back to school, they deserve to look good and feel confident in the materials that they have. We do this to make sure the kids feel sure of themselves when they are in school, and for them to know that they are loved.”
Porter reciprocated the sentiment, saying he emphasized the importance of giving out school supplies while seeing Christians in action to serve the communities that need it most.
“Children shouldn’t have to go to school without the things they need to be successful, that can create a sense of insecurity for them,” Porter said. “When we give out a bag you can see the confidence grow in them. That’s what it’s all about, seeing the smiles on their face and the parents’ faces is why we do this.”
Porter noted that at the giveaway they were giving out Bibles and prayers to families who requested them, as well.
Next door to the school supply giveaway on Tuesday at the LCCI office, volunteer workers were also offering food distribution and financial assistance to families in need. According to one volunteer worker, they served 33 families with multiple bags of food on Tuesday morning.
The LCCI office is open from 9-11 a.m. from Monday through Friday every week, a proof of residency and a short interview process is required to receive assistance each day.
All community resource availability does depend on service eligibility, and for more information on other additional resources provided by LCCI, call 211.