CONWAY, Ark. — As students in Arkansa are preparing to return to school soon New Life Church in Conway hosted a back-to-school event on Saturday morning.
They gave away free shoes, backpacks, and haircuts, and the community showed out in big numbers. There were hundreds of people lined up outside before the event, which the church hosted in collaboration with other area groups.
"We had people lining up here an hour before it started,” said Quentin Washispack, who serves as the Outreach Pastor for all 18 of NLC’s Arkansas locations. “So that tells me that there was a lot of need."
Many of those people came from outside of Conway to attend. One of them was Kelly Harper, who lives in Perry County and has a son who’s entering the second grade.
She said the event was a blessing to many in the area.
"Some folks can't afford, you know, haircuts for the kids, or backpacks or shoes,” Harper said. “And it's wonderful for everybody."
NLC Campus Pastor Hunter Bezet said the church has been putting on this event for years. He knows the start of a new school year can take a financial toll on people, which is why his church wanted to step up and fill the gap.
"When you don't know what the solution is or how to get help, you don't really know where to go,” Bezet said. “And we just did our best to get out in the community and make sure people know that this is a place that they can come to when they need that kind of help."
Washispack said the church has plans to do similar events later this year, such as giving out free food at Thanksgiving, and free toys at Christmas.
Giving is part of one of the church's most important goals.
"Be hands and feet of Jesus in the community where there's a need,” Bezet said, “And not just servicing our people, but servicing the community like Jesus did."
Students attending Conway Public Schools will return to the classroom on Monday, August 19, 2024.