By Makayla Allen
Packer Community Learning Center
Packer Community Learning Center kicked off another school year with our annual Back-to-School Bash, sponsored by Housing Ministries of Wisconsin and Extended Hands. Now in its 27th year, this annual tradition brings families together while helping students start the school year prepared and excited.
Through the generosity of our sponsors, students received backpacks fully stocked with school supplies based on their grade-level needs, from pre-K through college. More than 75 backpacks were distributed during the event, with additional families stopping by throughout the following week to pick up backpacks for their students.
This year’s Back-to-School Bash felt like a neighborhood barbecue, with activities set up in the heart of the community so families could come outside, connect and enjoy the afternoon together.
Community partners, including Play and Learn, provided activities for children, while families enjoyed barbecue, fresh fruit, a bounce house and face painting. We also received a special visit from the Madison Police Department’s Mounted Patrol, giving children the opportunity to meet the police horses and take pictures with them.
The Back-to-School Bash is about more than handing out school supplies. It gives families an opportunity to connect with neighbors, community organizations, and resources while helping parents check important back-to-school necessities off their lists. Most importantly, our scholars began a new school year knowing their community is behind them and cheering them on.
