Eastern Clarendon Community Outreach will host its fourth annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, July 11, providing free school supplies, backpacks, haircuts, food and family activities to help local students prepare for the upcoming school year.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at East Clarendon Middle-High School and is open to families throughout the community.
Organized by Eastern Clarendon Community Outreach under the direction of Laquan Barnes, the annual event has become one of the organization's signature outreach efforts. Since 2023, the nonprofit has distributed more than 1,500 backpacks filled with school supplies while connecting families with community resources and services.
This year's event will again feature free backpacks and school supplies, haircuts, clothing, food, games, nail painting and door prizes. Activities are designed to help students prepare for the first day of school while giving families an opportunity to enjoy a free community celebration before classes resume.
"Our mission is to give back to the community through acts of charity," the organization states. "We are dedicated to serving the people of our communities and making a positive impact on the lives of those in need."
The Back to School Bash is one part of the nonprofit's year-round outreach efforts across eastern Clarendon County. In addition to the annual event, the organization provides classroom donations for local teachers, awards student scholarships, stocks the East Clarendon student-athlete pantry with snacks and essentials, assists families facing medical hardships, supports the East Clarendon cheerleading program and contributes to the New Zion Methodist Church Blessing Box to help provide meals for families in need.
Barnes, an East Clarendon graduate who founded the nonprofit after reflecting on the support his own family received while he was growing up, has said the organization's goal is to ensure local children have the supplies they need while bringing the community together to support one another.
Eastern Clarendon Community Outreach relies on donations, volunteers and community partnerships to make its programs possible and continues to seek new ways to serve residents throughout eastern Clarendon County.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Barnes at 803-460-1310 or email quan1brns@gmail.com.
