Church festival distributes 100 backpacks in under an hour

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — It took less than an hour for First Presbyterian Church of Clarkesville to give away all 100 backpacks at its second annual Back-to-School Festival Saturday.

More than 230 people representing about 60 families attended the July 25 event, which offered backpacks, school supplies, food and activities as families prepare for the start of the new school year.

“We had again a very positive outcome,” Pastor the Rev. Dr. Matthew Henderson said.

The turnout came despite the church having more backpacks available than it did during its inaugural festival last year. Henderson said organizers had to tell a significant number of families who arrived later that the supply had already been exhausted.

Those families could still take part in the rest of the festival, which included a bounce house, free hot dogs and Kona Ice, along with opportunities to connect with local organizations.

Henderson said the overcast weather also made this year’s event more comfortable than the inaugural festival in 2025, when extreme heat made conditions difficult for volunteers and families.

Seven community partners participated in this year’s festival, including local public safety agencies. Volunteers for Literacy distributed books, while other organizations provided games, activities and information about services available to families.

Henderson said the partnerships were an important part of the festival because they gave organizations an opportunity to meet families face-to-face and introduce them to resources they may need in the future.

“Everybody had a face and a place and some exposure so that the community could really know that it does take a whole community to support what’s going on,” Henderson said.

Representatives from the participating organizations were grateful for the opportunity to interact with families, Henderson said. Those connections, he hopes, will make it easier for families to know where to turn when they need assistance beyond the back-to-school season.

The festival was intended to complement the Habersham County School District’s efforts to prepare students for the new school year. The district is providing classroom supplies for all K-12 students, including notebooks, paper, colored pencils and scissors, but personal items such as headphones, water bottles and book bags are not included.

First Presbyterian sought to help fill that gap by providing JanSport backpacks, headphones and water bottles, along with school supplies, to children in fifth grade and younger.

Running out of backpacks so quickly showed organizers that demand remains high. Henderson said the church hopes to increase the number available at next year’s festival if possible.

“The need is certainly there,” Henderson said. “Everybody wants their kids to have a great start to the year, and that’s what we’re about.”

Henderson acknowledged First Presbyterian is one of several organizations working to help families prepare for school and praised the support already provided by the school system. For the church, he said, the larger goal is to become a community neighbor families know they can turn to throughout the year.

That outreach will continue with the church’s Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, where Henderson expects to reconnect with some of the families who attended Saturday’s festival.

“We’ll see some of the same families then too,” Henderson said.