Marion County stores, organizations gear up for back-to-school season

Aug. 2—FAIRMONT — With the turn of the month signaling another back-to-school season for families and educators across Marion County, local stores and organizations are readying themselves to support the community's needs however it manifests this fall.

For years, local nonprofit Marion County Family Resource Network has hosted back-to-school giveaways in Fairmont, distributing backpacks filled with school supplies to local students.

This year, Administrative Assistant Jan Smith said that the FRN is looking to reach beyond the county seat and extend resources to the farthest corners of Marion County.

Smith said community feedback encouraged the FRN to "get more out in the county" and support areas that don't receive the same amount of support as Fairmont.

This year, the organization is partnering with the Mannington District Fair, and hosting its backpack giveaway at Mannington's First Exchange Bank on Aug. 7, the fair's kickoff date.

When purchasing school supplies to stuff the backpacks with, Smith said FRN gets school supply lists provided to families by Marion County Schools and uses them as purchasing guidelines to most effectively help local families. The FRN has different backpacks for students of different grade levels.

According to Smith, back-to-school season requires a number of purchases from parents, like new clothes and shoes. But where these items require specifications for each student, school supplies are similar "across the board," and are easier to provide to the county en masse.

"We can't supply all of it, but we're doing the best we can," she said.

Smith said that most people hear about the program through word of mouth and social media. "We get a lot of positive feedback from it," she said.

Marion County Schools, Fairmont State University, and Pierpont Community & Technical College all begin classes on Aug. 21. At the start of each fall, the Marion County Public Library ushers in a range of new programming that aims to support community members as their needs and schedules shift.

August is generally a quieter month for the library because it falls at the tail end of the Summer Reading Program, according to Cara Simms, public relations manager. This gives the library more time to prepare back-to-school offerings.

"It's really important for kids to have somewhere to come where they can read what they want," Simms said.

The library will begin its toddler story hour in September "for parents to bring their younger children" to when "older children are at school," Simms said. The library's Fairview and Mannington locations will also offer annual programming for home-schooled youth, who can "gather with others" at the library, Simms added.

Simms said this fall the library is offering programming for adult learners, too. The library will put up a resource display for adults resuming their education, and is hosting a CodeCombat series that will teach both youth and adults how to code.

"I know growing up I didn't really have coding classes. I had to learn it all on my own," Simms said. By bringing community members together to code, Simms hopes the process of learning will be "more fun."

Bound for Success Bookstore, operated by Fairmont State University, is stocking up on school supplies in anticipation of a back-to-school rush this month.

Derek Cortes, store manager, said that August and September are the busiest months for college bookstores, which requires more preparation from their staff.

"The main objective really is to make sure all students have their course materials, and that we have them for them," Cortes said. This includes a range of items, from textbooks and school supplies to uniforms and college merch.

The store is staffed through a contractor. Although Cortes has worked for the contractor at college campuses for 10 years, this will be the manager's first back to school at Fairmont State, after joining the team in November.

"I am a little bit nervous, but with my experience" and a "decent crew" of experienced staff, the start of the fall should go off without a hitch, Cortes said.

Reach Jack Walker by email at jwalker@timeswv.com.