PEORIA, Ill. – With school starting at Peoria Public Schools next week, Dream Center Peoria is helping get students ready for class with their Backpack Peoria event this weekend.
Dream Center Peoria Executive Director Andy King tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan”, they’ve got 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies ready for kids who need them.
“We’ll have four to four and a half thousand people come through our doors Saturday, with lines starting at about 4:30 in the morning. And, we’ll see a lot of people coming for help,” King says.
The backpacks are just the start. There will also be school physicals, dental checks, haircuts, and even 500 gift cards for uniforms for those who need help with that.
This is the 22nd year Dream Center Peoria has put on the back-to-school event.
King says the new school year can creep up on families, especially if the financial impact of it is a problem for them.
“We want to make sure that nothing is stopping a student from starting school well,” King says.
Backpack Peoria is the culmination of Mission Peoria. It’s been going on all week at Dream Center Peoria and around the community, with 150 students from across the country doing service projects… including filling 2,000 backpacks for Saturday’s event.
Backpacks will be given out Saturday from 9am-noon, or until they run out. Dream Center Peoria is located at 714 Hamilton Boulevard in downtown Peoria.
To learn more, click HERE.
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