Back-to-school: Here’s how you can help a family in need prepare | Opinion

Charmin Bates
·3 min read

With summer flying by, back to school will be here before we know it. We’re looking at another unusual fall for Nashville’s students.

Even as COVID-19 cases are falling and more students than ever are vaccinated, record inflation will complicate back-to-school preparations for many of Nashville's families. With the cost of everyday needs skyrocketing—from gas to groceries— the usual back-to-school supplies will likely be out of reach for many families with school-age kids.

A third grader may have to rely on a friend or a teacher to borrow a pencil. A kindergartener may have to use the leftover classroom crayons instead of their own set. A fifth grader’s backpack that barely made it through last year might need to try and make it through another year.

So, what can we do as a community to support one another as inflation complicates back-to-school preparation?

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Supporting our community during this back-to-school season

Creative Girls Rock, a local 501c3 nonprofit, is coming together with many local partners to provide some relief — and some fun — for those families. Our third annual Back-2-School Bash will include backpack giveaways for families in need— with over 5,000 backpacks filled with school supplies and everyday needs.

Charmin Bates and members of Creative Girls Rock
Charmin Bates and members of Creative Girls Rock

At Creative Girls Rock, we recognize that it can be hard to be creative if you are worried about the basics in life. So, we host workshops for women of every age to discover their creative selves throughout the year. Each year’s events and giveaways have been bigger and better than the last.

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We have expanded from backpacks and school supplies to now providing food boxes, diapers, dental and personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies. We pride ourselves on making these events joyful.

Creative Girls Rock volunteers will literally dance a backpack over to your car. We’ve hosted events where people picking up a backpack came back to volunteer later in the day and celebrate with us.

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How you can get involved

If you need supplies for back to school, join us at one of our six backpack distribution sites on Saturday, August 6, starting at 9 a.m.:

Charmin
Charmin

If you want to donate or volunteer, you can sign up through Creative Girls Rock’s Back-2-School Bash website.

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We welcome everyone to come out  and show your support on Saturday, August 6. You can also join us at our community celebration on Sunday, August 7, from noon to 4 p.m. in Elizabeth Park at 1701 Arthur Ave.

Times are tough financially, but we can still find joy in supporting one another. Seeing community partners come together when it matters most makes Nashville shine. Let’s ensure that as many students as possible can start the year with the supplies they need.

Charmin Bates is founder and executive director of Creative Girls Rock. Bates is a highly motivated universal architect and advocate for young professionals, educational development and community engagement. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Here’s how you can help with this year's back-to-school preparation