Northern Kentucky Harvest is helping out kids across the region gain access to vital school supplies.
Over 1,032 backpacks containing items such as paper, pens, pencils and other school supplies will be distributed to K-12 students who need them. The event is in its 22nd year and has distributed about 16,000 backpacks over the years, with more than half of recipients each year from Covington.
“We know there are still a lot of people out there hurting financially, what with the pandemic and higher grocery and gas prices, so we’re hoping we can connect with some of them and help them a little bit,” Northern Kentucky Harvest Board President Paul Gottbrath said. “As for the kids, it really gives your soul a boost to see how excited they get holding that backpack filled with markers, scissors, pencils, tablets, and rulers.”
Northern Kentucky Harvest has distributed supplies in the past, most notably during a “Backpacks and Breakfast” event at Covington’s Goebbel Park. However, due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Northern Kentucky Harvest now utilizes a drive-thru, car-hop format to give out the items.
Parents and guardians are being asked to sign up by July 31 via email in order to be eligible to receive supplies by August 13 and 14. If more than 1,032 students sign up, the backpack recipients will be determined by a lottery system.
How it works
- People can fill out the form at BACKPACK REGISTRATION and hit “submit”
- The form asks for the parent or guardian’s name, the city they live in, email address and phone number, the student’s name, the school they will attend during the 2022-23 school year, and what grade they will be in
- The deadline is 5 p.m. on July 31
- Recipients will receive a confirmation email and be notified by Aug. 1 with a time and day for pickup in the parking lot of Be Concerned, located at 1100 Pike St. in Covington
- Drivers don’t have to get out of their car
The event is presented annually by Northern Kentucky Harvest in collaboration with Be Concerned and the Brighton Center.
Financial support for the event comes from the Butler Foundation, the R.C. Durr Foundation, the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Western & Southern Financial Fund, the Summertime Kids Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kentucky Humana Healthy Horizons Medicaid, the SofaGives Charitable Fund and St. Pius X Catholic Church in Edgewood, plus St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cold Spring and St. Timothy Catholic Church in Union.
Frisch’s, the event’s original partner, is providing gift certificates for a free kid’s meal in each backpack.
