JOHNSTON, Iowa — Families across Iowa are finding school supply prices digging a bigger hole than usual in their bank accounts. Fortunately, parents and community members are banding together to make it work, even with the start of the school year so close.
The second annual "J-Rock the Block," hosted at the Simpson Barn on Sunday, gave families a chance to get ready before the school year starts in just a few days, whether that meant getting some school supplies or a free haircut.
Organizers with Johnston Parents for Equity and Antiracism (J-PEAR) said they wanted to provide a resource for families who might otherwise have slipped through the cracks.
"We felt like our community sometimes gets looked over because we're a suburb, and we know that there are families who need help," said Lya Williams, a member of J-PEAR.
And the need for that sort of help is high right now: According to the National Retail Federation, the average household is expected to shell out $864 in total for school supplies this year. That's a lot for families who are already struggling. One speaker shared that community giveaways once provided a lifeline to his own family.
"Stuff like this is how we survived," said Pascha Morgan. "Going there and getting free supplies, and not just getting the supplies, just community events like this."
Organizers told Local 5 that they prepared about the same amount of supplies as last year, but they were running a lot lower by the end of the event. They hope that the kids who attended today walk away feeling that their community is helping look out for them.
"I hope the kids that showed up today walk away knowing that their are parents in their community who care about them and want to succeed and we are here to fight for them when it feels like no one is there to fight for their rights," Williams said.
Kids in Johnston won't have long before they put those school supplies to use; classes start up on Tuesday, Aug. 23.