As the final days of summer wind down and the first day of school quickly approaches, a variety of Jefferson County organizations are holding events to help parents gather the necessary school supplies for the new school year.
Grace Day
The 12th annual Grace Day will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 1, at Cedar Hill Lutheran Church, 8660 Silver Lane in Cedar Hill.
Free school items include hygiene products, backpacks, school supplies and clothing like underwear, hoodies, socks and shoes, said Shane St. Clair, vice president of Cedar Hill Lutheran council and this year’s Grace Day coordinator.
St. Clair estimated 2,000 pairs of shoes will be available this year, and he said more than 400 backpacks have been given out at past events.
The Jefferson County Health Department’s mobile health unit, Jefferson County Library representatives and other organizations are expected to be at the event.
“SNAP is going to be there, there will be information for it and information for the free lunches, because that’s per the individual and per the school,” St. Clair said.
An automotive service will offer fluid top-offs, tire pressure checks and more. Families also will have the option to have a free digital school photo taken.
St. Clair said up to 350 families have received supplies each year, and about 1,200 people typically attend the event.
Dunklin R-5
The Dunklin R-5 School District will provide students with nearly all school supplies needed for the 2026-27 school year.
On June 1, Superintendent Clint Freeman announced during a Facebook broadcast that parents do not need to worry about purchasing supplies for the upcoming school year.
“The thought was what if we could take that stress away from the families and not have to worry about buying school supplies, except for a few things, and then how does that impact our open house experience or the first day of school on the bus experience,” he said. “(This) led to some conversations with my administrative team about what if we just didn’t require school supplies next year.”
Freeman said administrators liked the idea but were wary of how the district could achieve it.
Other than using some of the district’s allocated general operating funds, Dunklin will accept donations from outside entities and use leftover items from the previous school year.
“We will budget what we need to budget, so that we make sure our families have what they need, and if there are vendor partners and the churches want to help us donate, that’s amazing,” he said.
The only items the district asks parents to purchase students will be a backpack, pencil box, refillable water bottle and earbuds.
All classrooms will have other supplies, and teachers will distribute the items to students.
Freeman said the outreach has been positive, and parents are optimistic about saving money.
“I have some employees who have kids in the district, and I asked, ‘What dollar amount does (school supplies) cost you?’ And they said about $100 per kid,” he said. “Now they can go buy them a pair of tennis shoes, whatever else they need school clothes-wise, or they can use that money to take their family out to eat before school starts. Whatever they want to do, but we’re trying to relieve that burden a little bit for our families financially.”
Community Resource Fair
For a second consecutive year, the Jefferson County Library (JCL)-Cedar Hill Satellite is partnering with the Peace Pantry to hold a Community Resource Fair, to connect a variety of local resources and services to members of the community.
The fair is from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Peace Pantry, 8100 S. Industrial Drive, in Cedar Hill.
Kris Vancil of Dittmer, senior clerk for JCL-Cedar Hill Satellite and organizer of the fair, said the event’s goal is to bring together organizations that offer a wide variety of resources for people in western Jefferson County and eastern Franklin County.
“This family-friendly event is completely free and open to everyone in the area,” Vancil said.
The fair will feature free school supplies (while supplies last), free car seat checks and information about health care and mental health resources, housing assistance, utility and food assistance, disability resources, veteran/military support, family resources, job placement help, senior resources and transportation services.
As of July 14, 26 organizations planned to participate.
More community events
■ Redemption Church, 7301 Metropolitan Blvd., in Barnhart will hold a Back to School Bash from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at the church.
The event will feature face painting, free haircuts, music, free barbecue, free backpacks and school supplies (first come, first served).
For more information, visit redemptionchurchstl.com.
■ Wesley United Methodist Church will hold its Back-to-School Fair-School Supply Giveaway at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at the church, 3551 Hwy. 61, south of Festus.
Families and teachers may receive free school supplies.
The day will feature free Kona Ice, hot dogs and drinks. There also will be a crafts area for kids.
Party Paws Mobile Petting Zoo and local emergency services departments are scheduled to be at the event.
For more information, go to the church’s Back-to-School Fair-School Supply Giveaway page on Facebook.
■ Barbernation, located at 12913 Hwy. 21, De Soto, is holding a Back-to-School Free Haircut Event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, at the barbershop.
Haircuts are first come, first served. Basic haircuts only.
There also will be free school supplies, a bounce house, hot dogs, drawings and more.