The 16th annual Northern Kentucky Harvest Backpacks and Breakfast is set for Saturday, Aug. 13.
A total of 865 new backpacks stuffed with new school supplies to be distributed in the largest school readiness event in Northern Kentucky. Free breakfast is provided by Frisch’s. There will also be an opportunity for free health screenings, free haircuts for children attending.
The event takes place at Goebel Park, located at Fifth and Philadelphia streets in Covington from 9a.m. to 11 a.m.
Backpacks will be distributed on first-come, first-served basis to students in kindergarten through grade 12, to low-income families in Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties.
Parents or guardians seeking backpacks should bring a photo I.D., a recent piece of mail proving address, and Social Security or medical cards for their children.
The event started in 2001 with the realization that back-to-school expenses posed a real hardship for low-income families already struggling to pay for food, housing, utilities, transportation and health care. That first year, 150 backpacks were distributed.
The backpacks distributed this year are expected to push the total number dispensed through the event to nearly 10,000. Northern Kentucky Harvest believes that by getting these kids – many of them already at risk because of their family situations – the basic supplies they need to start school, it can remove one big obstacle to their academic success.
Northern Kentucky Harvest was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit organization with a mission of assisting established social service agencies in meeting the basic needs of the low-income population of Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties. In addition to Backpacks and Breakfast, it also provide grocery store gift cards to about a dozen Northern Kentucky agencies that provide food assistance.
It began as and remain an all-volunteer organization.
Major sponsors of the 2015 event are the Butler Foundation and the R.C. Durr Foundation. Sponsors are the Summertime Kids program of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation; the Scripps Howard Foundation; St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Humana CareSource; the Western & Southern Financial Fund; and St. Pius X Church.
In-kind support is provided by Frisch’s, St. Joseph (Cold Spring) and St. Timothy Catholic churches, the Covington Moose Lodge; Fifth Third Bank; Community of Faith Presbyterian Church and the Dog Haus Bar.
The event is organized by Northern Kentucky Harvest, in collaboration with Be Concerned, the Brighton Center and the Hosea House Echo Soup Kitchen.
Northern Kentucky Harvest
