It’s community!

By Editor | August 17, 2022 |

Photo by Christy Porter
Dr. Jarad Rinne, Licking R-VIII High School Principal, helped those attending the Licking Assembly of God Back to School Bash find food items that would help get the school year off to a good start. The youngsters had fun with games provided around the perimeter.

By Christy Porter, Managing Editor

Between 300-400 participants at the Licking Assembly of God Back-to-School Bash had a fun time on Saturday evening.

“It’s not charity, it’s community,” said Senior Pastor Paul Richardson. “We want to help give students in our school district a great school year.”

Richardson and Outreach Pastor Larissa Satterfield agreed the goal was for students to not have the worry of appearance, hygiene, food insecurity or any other unnecessary barriers hampering a positive school year.

Community leaders, pastoral and outreach leadership, church members, teenagers, a principal and school superintendent, from different school districts, volunteered to make the event a success.

The Licking Assembly of God Church and Convoy of Hope provided the essentials to ensure that our small town families are not overlooked when receiving necessities for students to return to school.

Photo by Christy Porter
Students received backpacks and enjoyed helping make selections from supplies and snacks to help fill them in preparation for the first day of school.

Kids sported new backpacks ready to fill with supplies and homework, ready or not.

Food items from easy to fix breakfasts, snacks and beverages were among the choices for parents and students to choose from.

Clothing, coats, gloves, shoes, sandals, Roma boots, Bombas socks, purses and more were available in a great assortment of sizes.

Bro. Tommy Riley, a retired hairdresser, offered haircuts so students would look sharp for their first day of school.

Cleaning aids and disinfecting wipes, as well as personal hygiene items such as soaps and deodorant, were available.

Entertainment provided around the perimeter of the church parking lot included a duck pond, egg spoon, sack race and three legged races, a bounce house, face painting, a 9-square (played like 4-square), and corn hole; teenage volunteers filled in when just one more person was needed to complete the game.

Eric Dattwyler and Josh Kane provided grilled hot dogs throughout the event with Billy Gale keeping the hotdog bar supplied with condiments and chili to dress the dogs. Chips and water completed the complimentary meal.

The back-to-school bash was held to offset the sometimes-challenging expense of that first week of school.