Back-to-school giveaway to gift over 500 bookbags and supplies

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The cost for school supplies can be a burden for parents.

With the costs of everything feeling like they are only going up, this school year has been hard for some parents to keep up.

“We’re looking at the school supplies list now. It’s just hard to choose whether you want to pay rent for the month or supplies for school,” Latisha Gaines, Dougherty County parent, said.

A study by Deloitte says that despite costs going up, they expect parents to spend 10% less in back to school items compared to last year. The study says parents will put less money on the credit card this year, too.

WALB spoke with parents who were back-to-school shopping at Walmart.

Gaines said she’s in a much better spot this year, but she says parents with multiple kids need multiple book bags.

“They need probably two or three depending how rough the kids are and how much they have to put in their book bag,” Gaines said.

Another parent was with his son getting supplies for college. He said that it was challenging years ago and he feels for parents of young kids today.

The cost for a book bag is between $15 to $35 depending on quality, size and style. Notebooks, scissors, and glue sticks range from 50 cents to $4.

Albany is giving back. Vital Smiles will be giving away 500 book bags on July 28. Courtney Beck is a dental hygienist at Vital Smiles and the organizer of the event.

“We stuff them all of them for with stuff that kids might need. We have folders, pencils, pens, and we also have pencil pouches in them,” Beck said.

The event will have other vendors with supplies and a barber so your kids will look good on the first day.

“I’ve been in Albany a while and I know how it is being a single mom so I know especially having multiple kids a lot of our patients with multiple kids I know it can be hard getting each kid what they need for school,” Beck said.

The event is from 9 a.m. to noon and will be in the shopping facility at the corner of Slappey Boulevard and Gordon Avenue while supplies last. You must have each kid in attendance to receive supplies.

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