Aurora churches plan two school supply giveaways

Members of six Aurora churches are involved in one mission this back-to-school season: To provide free book bags full of supplies to area students.

Church members have planned two separate school supply giveaways, each offering back-to-school basics and health services.

The first event is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St., Aurora. Pitching in to gather school supplies and dole them out are members of St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church and two more United Methodist churches in Aurora, Bethany of Fox Valley and Fourth Street.

Families from Aurora and surrounding communities can receive one book bag for each child present at the event, along with supplies such as pencils, folders and spiral notebooks, said Rich Brown, who attends Wesley church and planned the event.

“Kids need some school supplies in order to do the job of being a student,” Brown said. “There’s nothing worse than going to school and not having the paper and the pencils and all the other things you need in order to function as a student.”

This is the fifth year Wesley church has hosted a school supply giveaway. The event also will include blood pressure and diabetes screenings, dental checks and a massage therapist for anyone older than 18.

New Heart Worship Center, 1750 Jericho Road, Aurora, is hosting its own back-to-school festival at the church from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, with the help of Main Baptist Church, said apostle Rosa Buford, a New Heart leader who organized the event. #147;Because of the fact that so many people are out of jobs, the Lord just laid on my heart to have it again,#148; Buford said about the church#146;s second annual back-to-school festival.Aside from school essentials like glue sticks, pens and paper, guests can get free haircuts, manicures, pedicures and chiropractor#146;s services, as well as hot dogs, hamburgers and corn, Buford said. New Heart and Wesley both will accept supply donations at the churches until the last moment before their events begin, organizers said. And they#146;ll make sure it all goes to good use. New Heart hopes to give away 1,000 book bags full of supplies, and Wesley#146;s goal is 500.#147;Lets hope we have more supplies than students,#148; Brown said. #147;We#146;re going to take overages to the two (East and West Aurora) school systems, divide them equally and say, #145;Here, you find the best home for our overages.#146; So we will give away absolutely everything at the end of the program.#148;