According to the Acadia Parish school district website, Pre-k through 8th grade students are provided with school supplies, but high schools students are not.
With the last weekend before school starts August 7th for Acadia Parish, the Church Point community hosted a back to school event for neighbors at The Martin Luther King Jr park. Free school supplies and other items were given away for families who may be in need this upcoming school year.
Sydney Lanae Coleman, a recent graduate of Church Point High School, feels as though students perform better in the classroom when they look their best, that’s why she’s making an effort to give back to her community before school starts.
“I’m giving away two free hairstyles, one boy and one girl," Coleman said. "They can get a back to school hairstyle, the girls can pick whatever braids, and the boys can get retwist or whatever style they choose and I will do it for free.”
Coleman enjoys events such as Family Fun Fay, because it gives her an opportunity to give back while bringing the community together. Martin Logan, a member of Unity and Community non-profit, helped organize this year’s 8th annual Family Fun Day. This year’s Fun Fay meant a lot more to families in need. The event included free school supplies, free food, a basketball tournament, water slide, and much more. Logan explained there are families who may feel uncomfortable asking for help, so hosting events such as this one is important.
“I’m just trying to help bridge that gap, for the single mothers that might need help, for the single fathers that might need help, single grandmother, single foster care parents, anyone that just may need the help," Logan said. "We just want to extend that arm and say it’s okay to need help.”
For Logan, it’s important to encourage education among youth because they are the future.
“They are very intelligent, they are very capable, we just have to give them exposure to different careers, different paths in life, and jobs,” Logan explained.
Logan says the non-profit plans to continue hosting events to bring the community together.
