The Community Fellowship and partnering organizations have provided more than 38,000 children with a new pair of shoes, a new pair of socks and a backpack filled with school supplies for the last 18 years, and this year will be no different.
The kickoff for the organization’s Back2school 2024 was July 7, but families still have time to register from now until the last registration event on July 23.
New this year, students can pre-register online as well as find participating locations and times to come in person to complete the registration at www.gob2s.com. Pre-registering will help ensure all of the paperwork is completed before arrival and prevent delays.
Students must come in person to have their feet measured at one of the organization’s participating locations, July 13, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and July 23, from 6-8 p.m. Children’s feet are measured during the registration events to ensure that they receive shoes that fit them appropriately.
Laptops and tablets will be available on those dates/times to help with registrations for anyone unable to register in advance.
The Community Fellowship also will host a Back2school event at 7 p.m. on July 17 at the Mustangs Game. Students can be registered and measured for shoes at this event, too.
A Pack the Bus Weekend will be held at the Martinsville Walmart, with donations to ‘pack the bus,’ for the items that are needed to fill backpacks. The event will be held July 19 and July 20, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and July 21, from 1 – 6 p.m.
On July 30, up to 400 volunteers will gather to pack the backpacks full of school supplies during the Fill the Back Packs event at 6 p.m., 700 Commerce Court, Martinsville.
The Special Needs Day to serve Special Needs youngsters is Friday, August 2.
On Saturday, August 3, backpacks with school supplies will be distributed to students, along with shoes and socks.
Each year, up to 20 locations serve children and their families in the community and beyond. Many of these locations provide free haircuts and offer a clothing closet as well. Additionally, the organization has partnered with local school systems to provide meals at each registration as well as at the main outreach event.
Annually, the organization serves nearly 4,000 children and has more than 1,000 volunteers and as many as 100 partner churches. This event has a major impact on students and families as well as the volunteers who serve them.
