For more than two decades, the OACAC Barry County neighborhood center has been hosting a school fair to help children in the area start off the school year on the right foot.
Gail Reed, OACAC Barry County neighborhood market supervisor, said the sign-ups for the school fair will be open from May 31 to July 7.
“The School Fair will be held at the OACAC center on Aug. 10-11,” she said. “To sign up people should call the center and make an appointment.”
To sign up children, parents and guardians will need social security cards for everyone in the household, a photo ID of the head of household, and the previous months income for the household — that will be the income for the month of May.
“The school fair is open to any student from kindergarten to twelfth grade,” Reed said. “Students will receive backpacks, and we try to get all of the supplies not heir school supply list.
“It all depends on funding and how many donations we get.”
Reed said that last year the number of children signed up for the School Fair was down a bit from the average.
“Typically, we see 150-175 children sign up,” she said. “This is open the entire county.”
If people are interested in donating for the school fair, both monetary donations and school supplies are welcome.
“All money we receive go to purchasing school supplies,” she said. “When buying supplies, we need everything, from paper to folders, pencils and crayons. But we do see a need for headphones and ear buds, and composition notebooks.”
The Cassville Methodist Church purchases all of the new shoes for children signed up.
“This is the 21st year to do this,” Reed said. “When I first started collecting school supplies, I went to a few local businesses and collected $200.
“I bought as much as I could and just handed it out to students as they walked in the door.”
Soon, the School Fair became an OACAC project through the community action agencies.
“Every child deserves to walking school on the first day with a backpack full of supplies,” Reed said. “It starts their year off good, and they gain confidence.”
Since COVID-19, things have changed a bit in the layout of the School Fair.
“But, we still provide information to parents about different help and support agencies that can help their kids have a good school year and education,” she said. “I remember years ago, the COX Caremobile came to do vision tests. There was a little boy, and the doctor told his parents he needed glasses. The little boys said, ‘I told you I couldn’t see!’
“He got glasses, and it was in part because there was a resource there to help him and his parents.”
Reed said is costs approximately $3,500 each year to purchase school supplies for the fair.
For questions, to sign up, or to donate people may call the OACAC Barry County neighborhood market at 417-847-2140.
