SAFFORD — It’s a return to traditional face-to-face contact at this year’s Back To School Resource Fair, albeit with a change in location.
Parents and children in grades K-12 will be able to get free school supplies; vitamins, health and nutritional services; and library services all that day when the Back To School Resource Fair takes place Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the National Guard Armory, at Armory Road and U.S. Highway 191.
“One of the problems . . . this year was, because of the schools starting early, EAC had already scheduled a football camp. We normally do the event at EAC, and everyone is used to that, but this year we had to change location,” said Chris Gibbs with the Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition.
The free clothing offered by GCRC and St. Vincent DePaul will be provided to children via a voucher, and appointments will be made for immunizations and sports physicals at Canyonlands. Plus the Safford Lions Club will be there to provide free eye screenings of every child, as well as dental information made available.
The Back To School Fair is expanding the group being served this year, helping families with pre-K children.
“So we decided to help not just kids in school, we’re also going to be helping out parents in need that need car seats for their children, along with all the school supplies and stuff that we’re going to be giving out,” said Esmerelda, a youth advocate for Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition.
A short training session must be attended to receive a free car seat. Call 928-428-2511 to schedule an appointment during the fair.
There will also be a non-perishable food drive to benefit the food banks of St. Vincent DePaul and Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry.
The fair is open to students of any school in Graham or Greenlee counties, children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and backpacks with schools supplies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Sponsors include: United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, First Things First, Safford Lions Club, Walton Drug, Boys & Girls Club of the Gila Valley, American Legion Swift-Murphy Post 32, St. Vincent DePaul, GCRC, Eastern Arizona Area Health Education Center, LifeNet, Arizona @ Work, Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry, Eastern Arizona Courier, Mount Graham Regional Medical Center, Safford City-Graham County Library and GFWC Woman’s Club of Safford.
