August 27, 2024
– By Gabrielle Lamplugh –
As summer winds down and Alabama communities head back to school, many organizations and leaders are stepping up to support students and families with essential resources. Among those leaders are our ENI community liaisons, who have worked hard with their respective communities to host events ensuring families are ready for the new school year.
In Blountsville, Debbie Goble hosted the second annual back-to-school fair, inspired by her ENI colleagues.
“Last year, after hearing about all of the different fairs during ENI meetings, I felt there was a lot of information in our town that could be advertised,” Debbie shared. “There are a lot of resources in our community, but people might not know – I wanted this to be an informational fair.”
And, after the success of last year’s back-to-school fair, community organizations were eager to participate.
“We had people calling in wanting to host tables at the event,” Debbie shared.
In total, the back-to-school fair had over 15 booths. Organizations including Alabama Public Television, banks, the local women’s club, and numerous churches participated, connecting attendees with resources ranging from financial information to nutritional support programs. The event also offered a free vision screening booth, hosted by the local Lions Club. And, each student in attendance received a free backpack full of school supplies – in total, over 200 backpacks were distributed.
Debbie emphasized that the Blountsville Back to School fair highlights the importance of having all the necessary resources in one place. As one parent noted, even if the hope is that you never need certain resources, having the information readily available is invaluable.
In LaFayette, ENI community liaison Adrian Holloway also hosted a Back to School Bash in partnership with People Helping Youth Reach Excellent (PHYRE), the local youth development organization she leads. Now in its twelfth year, the LaFayette Back to School Bash is an inspiring example of how creating a centralized hub can empower families and foster community connections.
“This is a day of fun for families as they go back to school,” Adrian said. “But it also connects people to resources that they need but don’t always know how to find.”
While the event was certainly entertaining, including inflatables and a rock climbing wall from the National Guard, it also did an excellent job of connecting families with resources. By partnering with the LaFayette police department and organizations including Circle of Care and numerous local health initiatives, the event showcased the broad range of support services available to the community. There were representatives from Alabama’s colleges and universities available to meet with high school students and advise them on educational pathways. Operation Wipe Out was also in attendance, registering community members for breast and cervical cancer screenings at their mobile clinic.
Like the event in Blountsville, Adrian’s team in LaFayette also focused on making sure students had everything they needed before the school year started. In total, 415 backpacks full of school supplies were distributed at the LaFayette Back to School Bash.
The back to school events organized by Debbie and Adrian are inspiring examples of the importance of community partnerships and events for promoting health equity. The holistic events not only provided students with the supplies they needed for the new school year but also connected families with resources that support their physical and mental health. We applaud the efforts of ENI community liaisons in hosting events that demonstrate the power of community action in promoting health equity.