DESOTO COUNTY, Miss — Mid-South students will head back to school in less than a month, so the Dream Center in Horn Lake Mississippi gave away 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies.
Josh Sparwasser is the director of the DeSoto County Dream Center.
"It's just going to be a fun time out here," he said. "We're giving away 3,000 snow cones, 3,000 hotdogs and chips, and it's fun. We've got bounce houses."
Everything needed for a first day of school was given away by the group on Saturday. COVID-19 vaccines were also available.
"Thanks to the Homer Skelton foundation for their support we have the opportunity to give a backpack, pencils, notebooks," Sparwasser said. "[We've got] everything to get them started for the first day of school."
Sparwasser said the group held the event to "spread hope to the residents of DeSoto County.
"They get to pack their backpack," he said. "They get to pick the one that matches their first day of school outfit, which is awesome."
He said the Dream Center wants to allow the students to dream again.
"We have the opportunity today to pray over 1000 students for their school," he said. "We get to take the moment and specifically ask them what can we pray for them about."
In fact, Sparwasser said that is what separates the event from getting school supplies elsewhere.
"You can get school supplies at all these big box stores all over the city and in the county, but you can't get prayer," he said. "That's our job here today is just to lift them up in prayer and give them something to look forward to and save them some money."
Janalia Thomas is a student who attended the giveaway.
"I feel good that we're getting free stuff because we don't have to go to the store and get everything else," she said.
Shameka Holmes is a parent with five children.
"[We're] here today to get backpacks," she said "It helps a lot. I know a lot of churches—they say they do outreach. A lot of Christians say they want to give back to the community, but the dream Center actually shows it."