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It might be mid-June, but school will be here sooner than you expect. To help families with that expensive time, The Gathering Ministry in LaGrange is hosting its annual Back to School Bash and school supply giveaway next Saturday.

Christina Dunbar, wife of Pastor James Dunbar, said the ministry has been doing the event for five years as community outreach.

“We try to give back to the community because some children can’t afford a lot of different things, so we try to help out the parents and give them back-to-school supplies, and then we also feed them lunch,” Dunbar said.

For many parents, just buying their children backpacks for the new school year is an expense they don’t have the money for, especially if they have multiple kids. Next Saturday, parents can bring their kids for a free lunch and a free backpack, including other school supplies.

The church checked online to see what most students will need, and a lot of them need composition books, so the backpacks will include composition books, pens, and pencils, Dunbar said.

The giveaway isn’t just for little kids. Everyone is welcome, including K-5 through high school students, she said.

Doing the event in early summer has helped with the turnout in years past, Dunbar said.

“We used to do it at the end of July. But last year we did it in June and we had a great turnout,” Dunbar said, saying they gave away all of the supplies. “When we did it at the end of July, we still had a lot of backpacks left, so we said, ‘let’s do it in June.’ So, we’re going to stick with June and see.”

Along with the backpacks, families can come out for free hot dogs, drinks and chips, along with hourly gift card giveaways. New and gently used clothing will also be given away. The organizers only ask that adults be present with their children.

The Back to School Bash will be held Saturday, June 21, from 12 to 4 p.m. at The Gathering Ministry at 623 Juniper Street in LaGrange.

For more information, contact Pamela Simmons at (706) 587-9172 or via email at gatheringministrycc@yahoo.com.