Adult and youth volunteers helped hand out school supplies to students at the 2022 Care Fair.
The first day of school is right around the corner and Living Stones Church Winnemucca is hosting the Eighth Annual Care Fair sponsoring free school supplies for at least 100 students.
“The Care Fair is for any families in our community who would like to have help with school supplies — getting their kids ready for school. The reason that we do the Care Fair is because there are a lot of families in the community — especially with the rising costs and inflation — that it’s really difficult to outfit a whole family with school supplies. It just gets to be more and more expensive every single year,” said Living Stones Administrative Director Shana Murdock.
The event is completely free and will provide not only school supplies and free haircuts—just what every student needs to be prepared for their first day — but also fun activities and entertainment for kids in the parking lot, food and more.
It will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Living Stones Winnemucca Church at 403 Hanson Street.
“We love that this blesses both families and kids, as well as teachers and schools in our community. We love that there’s a two fold opportunity to help both of them so that kids will feel successful and succeed in school,” said Murdock.
Living Stones is currently working on raising $3,000 internally in order to cover the total costs of all of the backpacks and supplies, food, and entertainment and is also looking for stylists to help give fresh haircuts to students, which is a tax deductible donation for stylists.
According to Murdock, stylists are always the biggest need for the event.
“Having stylists seems like it’s one of the most needed and appreciated aspects of the Care Fair and it’s all the hardest to arrange. And so any licensed professional that would be willing to donate their time, we would absolutely love to have their help. Their services are also tax deductible so we can actually write them a receipt that they can use on their taxes to deduct those donations if they wanted to,” she explained.
Open houses for students take place the same week as the event so students can take their new school supplies to their classrooms.
“All the schools are actually having their open house on Thursday, (the same week as the Care Fair) so the kids will be able to come and get school supplies on Tuesday and actually take their supplies to their classroom during Open House day on Thursday if they decide to do that,” Murdock said.
The community always shows up for students with local businesses, families and individuals making donations right up until the day of the event since the event began in 2015, according to Murdock.
“We have tons of people who have answered the call for support and who faithfully support the Care Fair every year…Every single time I check the mail there is a check from people who see the need and want to help with that and we’re so grateful for that,” she said.
Most years there are leftover supplies that go directly to school guidance counselors to hand out throughout the year as needed too.
“We have heard great feedback form schools and counselors that students who would likely not have been able to show up for school prepared are able to do so because of the event,” explained Murdock.
To make a donation or learn how else to help out with the 2023 Care Fair, email Shana Murdock at shana@livingstones.com