By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Staff Reporter

Jemison First Baptist Church is hosting its second annual Backpack Blessings giveaway on Aug. 6 from 9-11 a.m.

Backpack Blessings was an event started last year by the church that gives away backpacks and school supplies to kids around the community.

“Our role is being able to fill roles that our community needs,” said church youth minister Jared Hood. “We know there are families that need a lot of back to school supplies. We can alleviate that need so they can spend money on other things they’ll need. It’s just a way to help people in our community.”

Students will receive backpacks that have supplies in them such as a 24 pack of crayons, a crayon box, glue sticks, number two pencils, pencil sharpeners, kids scissors and a one subject notebook.

Hood said last year they had 75 students that came in for the giveaway and expects the number to be around the same this year, but hopes for more. Most of the kids last year were mainly elementary school kids, but they also had a handful of middle school students. Hood made sure to state that nobody of school age would be turned away.

Not only has Hood been working as a youth and college minister since the age of 21, but he is also a licensed professional counselor giving him plenty of experience guiding people.

“God placed me in this position to be a help for people who are hurting and often times need guidance,” Hood said. “I enjoy that aspect of my job. I love to be a servant because that’s what Christ intended for us to do. As Christians we are saved people and saved people should serve others.”

The event will also be hosting a pancake breakfast for everybody in attendance, which will be prepared by members of the church, who also donated most of the school supplies that the kids will be receiving.

“In doing it last year we walked away from it with our pastor saying we need to do this every year,” Hood said.

So they’ve continued it this year and with schools starting back in the next couple of weeks, Hood hopes more kids will show up to take advantage of the free back to school supplies.