On Aug. 5, Hastings Family Service (HFS) will open its registration for school supply assistance, a program that provides school supplies for families in need.
To apply for the program, applicants need to call to set up an in-person meeting and then provide a picture ID, a piece of mail in district 200 postmarked within two weeks or a current utility bill, proof of enrollment for students like a class schedule or bus card and then complete an intake form at Hastings Family Service.
The program started in the fall of 1995 and has been generously supported by community members and local businesses alike ever since. It has remained largely unchanged throughout the decades with a single, notable exception.
“The only time we really had to made adjustments was Covid,” said Development & Community Relations Coordinator Kelly Carter.
During the 2020 school supply assistance, HFC staff had to prepack backpacks with school supplies and distribute them as a whole rather than let students pick their own supplies, which has been the model since the beginning of the program.
Items collected for the school supply assistance program include common school supplies like backpacks, calculators, pens, pencils and highlighters, notebooks, 3-ring binders and headphones. HFS is still accepting donations for all these supplies, which can be dropped off at the donation center. Because of the prep work that goes into setting up supplies for students to pick up, donations are asked to be dropped off before Aug. 13, but will be accepted after that date as well.
Residents are encouraged to check the list of prioritized items on the HFS website because items that are needed can change even up to the last minute and will be reflected in real time on the list on HFS’ website.
Supply drives are occurring across the community from local businesses to faith communities. While HFC is happy to collaborate with local businesses in hosting these events, “A lot of times these happen and we don’t know that they are happening,” said Carter.
MEGA Storage Garages is hosting a “fill the storage unit” supply drive for school supplies for HFS from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at their facility in Hastings. At the event will be the 437 food truck selling pizza.
At the distribution, which takes place Aug. 20-23, students are led through a room with all the supplies laid out and are able to pick their own backpack, pencils and notebook.
“Even grabbing your own pencils—which are all the same anyway—is important,” said Carter about the structure of the event.
For more information about the event as well as how to host your own drive, visit HFC’s website at https://hastingsfamilyservice.org/programs-services/school-supply-assistance.html