- Walk It Like You Talk It hosted its first Back-to-School Book Bag Drive on Aug. 1 at Gainesville Church of Christ, distributing 160 book bags filled with supplies.
- All proceeds from event raffles will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support reinstating their athletic programs.
With the start of school quickly approaching, a local group is doing its part to make sure families have the necessary supplies needed for a successful school year.
Walk It Like You Talk It, a community wellness group, will host its first “Back-to-School Book Bag Drive” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies last, on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Gainesville Church of Christ (1001 NE 28th Ave.).
The free community event is expected to include free book bags, free gently used clothing and shoes, vendors, food and more.
In a post on Facebook, Ashley Clayton, founder of Walk It Like You Talk It, said the backpack drive was created with one purpose: “to love on and give back to our community and help families prepare for a successful school year.”
Clayton said in an email to Mainstreet that Walk It Like You Talk It was initially created “to encourage people to work out and live healthier lifestyles.”
Since its creation, she noted that the group has grown into something much bigger.
“A community built on encouragement, meaningful relationships, and giving back,” she said in the email. “Our mission is to inspire people to stop talking about the life they want and start living it through healthy living, service, accountability, compassion, and hope.”
In an interview with Mainstreet, Clayton said they will be giving away 160 book bags filled with school supplies, including pencils, folders, composition books, colored pencils and pencil sharpeners. She added that Kona Ice, one of the vendors that will be at the event, is also putting a coupon for a free shaved ice in each of the book bags.
Clayton said attendees don’t need to arrive at a certain time to get the book bags.
“I’m setting it up for it to be more so a drop-in,” she said of the event. “I know Saturdays are a day for people to either relax or spend time with their families, so it’s a drop-in.”
Clayton said people can come and grab breakfast from a food truck on site, visit the different vendors, pick out some clothes and shoes, and “just enjoy themselves.”
The free clothes and shoes, Clayton said, are being set up by her church members, noting that Gainesville Church of Christ is her home church.
“They are having a clothing drive while the event will be going on,” Clayton said. “So, they [families] can take some clothes, eat some food, get some treats, and then leave if they want to, or hang out if they want to.”
Clayton explained the reasoning behind having the event at her home church was to make it easily accessible for the people who live nearby.
“Gainesville Church of Christ…used to be the old YMCA. It was a staple of that community,” Clayton said. “So, now that it’s our home church, and it sits right in a neighborhood, I’m like, ‘so many people, neighbors can just walk to the event.’ So, that was the purpose.”
In addition to the book bags, vendors and food, the event will also include raffles and giveaways. Clayton said they will be raffling off two teacher baskets, with one going to a teacher at Rawlings Elementary School and the other to a teacher at Duval Early Learning Academy.
According to Clayton, all proceeds from the raffles will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America “to help reinstate their athletic programs.”
Clayton said she plans to become a nonprofit after the event and that she aims to make the backpack drive an annual event moving forward.
“My goal is to have this every year. And when I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it,” Clayton said.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.