Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana hosts annual school supply giveaway

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana hosted its annual school supply giveaway Saturday.

“It’s a great honor to give these supplies away. We could not do it without our partners in the community,” executive director Leann Bond says.

Around 150 backpacks filled with school supplies were handed out for kids ranging from pre-K to high school.

Bond says it’s one more way the coalition is meeting the needs of the children in the area. “There is a great need. There is a great need for school supplies. There’s a great need for so much more, and that’s what we do here at the Children’s Coalition. We meet those needs. We fill those gaps, but again, we can’t do that without community help.”

That’s help they received from Kelsey Mardis who hand-sewn face masks to go along with each backpack.

Stacey Smith, owner of Stacey’s Baskets and Gifts, also donated the backpacks for each child. Smith says it’s important to make sure kids have what they need to be successful in the classroom.

“Education is so important. Education is the key to success. If you receive an education, you can acquire any type of job that you aspire to achieve,” Smith says.

Bond says the children’s coalition looks forward to continuing its mission to help further that cause. “We appreciate people coming to us telling us what those needs are and us working together to meet those needs,” Bond says.

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