A Community Helps Its Youngest Be Ready For School

Volunteers helped to distribute school supplies, shoes, give hair cuts, and examine teeth on Thursday’s back to school fair.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Penn Central Mall was buzzing with activity on Thursday afternoon, as hundreds of kids get ready for school.

The United Way of Mahaska County helped to coordinate the afternoon’s event that used to be known as Operation Backpack.

The event has morphed into the current back-to-school fair during the past two years. It now includes not only a backpack and school supplies, but kids can now get shoes, a dental screening, or a haircut.

There are groups like boy scouts, girl scouts, fire department, and many more there helping to provide information to kids and parents alike.

There were 18 different vendors last year, and this year, 25 were on hand.

For families, there are no economic hurdles to meet.

There were 400 kids pre-registered for the program, and nearly 150 more kids registered at the door.

That number is an increase from the previous year.

“So we wanted to take away that barrier of income,” said United Way of Mahaska County Director Timothy Gibson. “Primarily the people that we’re helping are those that are maybe a little underserved. But you know, people who do make a decent amount of money, or it looks on paper that they do, we don’t know what bills they have. We don’t know what struggles they have in their life. So we can help take some of the burden off, even if they just need a haircut.”

Gibson said the back-to-school fair was funded through community donations, like a $2000 gift from Cargill. Others like American Family, Musco, MCG, and others also gave.

Another big fundraiser for the fair comes from Ashley Sickels and Danielle Scott, who host a bake sale during Sweet Corn Serenade. They raised nearly $3000 this year to help the program.

The back-to-school fair was the final program for Gibson, who departed the United Way of Mahaska County on Friday. “It is with a very heavy heart that I have to leave.”

“This is the kind of the last going away gift for me from our community, of being able to help so many other people. That’s always been a huge passion of mine,” added Gibson. “I’m really happy that United Way was able to give me that outlet and be able to help a community that I hold dear to my heart since I grew up here and graduated high school here.”

Oskaloosa Elementary School Principal Mike Dursky spoke about the impact such a program has on the students as they prepare to head back to school.

Durksy spoke about the outpouring of support from the community to support Oskaloosa’s children, “which is wonderful to see all the people that came here to support the kids.”

“All of these things impact our kids at school,” added Dursky.

”Those supplies, such as backpacks and supplies, the haircut, shoes and more, help students start school with confidence, which helps them be prepared mentally,” Dursky explained.

It sends the message to the students that they are part of a caring community. It also helps parents become more informed of the resources available to them.