LAPLACE — Kristi Hollingsworth of LaPlace bought 50 bookbags and a multitude of school supplies as a way of saying thank you to the St. John the Baptist Parish school community that has helped her children learn and grow. Parents are invited to bring their children to a back-to-school supply giveaway and pop-up shop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Clay’s Café, located at 975 Cambridge Drive in LaPlace.

Notebooks, crayons, color pencils, folders, pencils, pens, compositions books, rulers and bookbags are among the items Hollingsworth collected for children in the self-funded effort.

School supplies will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Hollingsworth. Young boys can receive free haircuts on-site, and there will be a raffle for two girls to have their hair braided just in time for school.

Hollingsworth, a mother of four, is happy to have her children attend the school system she grew up in.

“They went to school in St. John Parish then transferred to Jefferson, but they will be back in St. John Parish this year,” Hollingsworth said. “They gained a really good education in St. John Parish. I think the teachers and the staff in this parish do a really good job, so it’s kind of just like a thanks to the community

and something to give back to the youth in the area.”

This is Hollingsworth first time doing a school supply drive, and she would like to see increased community support for the youth.

“There’s not really a lot to do in the area for kids,” Hollingsworth said. “This is something that’s more geared toward kids.” In addition to school supplies, the event will feature seafood, fried chicken wings and loaded fries cooked on-site. Desserts will also be available.

Local vendors will be able to offer something for everyone, from custom wreaths to home décor and homemade food.

No identification is required to attend.

“I encourage people to show up early and bring their kids with them,” Hollingsworth said. “I don’t want it to be just parents coming by themselves.”

After the supply drive, Hollingsworth plans to continue her outreach by visiting local schools and speaking with teachers and administration. From there, she will determine the school system’s greatest needs and how to help.

Hollingsworth hopes to put a down payment on a building to be used for free educational seminars for teens in middle and high school in the near future.

At the facility, students would learn life lessons not taught on a school campus, including the importance of maintaining an excellent credit score and how to put together a strong resume. Students would partake in mock interviews and one-on-one sessions in preparation for job searching.

For more information, contact Hollingsworth Kristi through Facebook