Backpacks in bright pink, blue, green, black and every color in between were lined up outside Custer Baker Intermediate School, just waiting for the right student to come pick it up.
The packs — organized by grade level from kindergarten to 12th grade — were loaded with pencils, paper, notebooks and other supplies. Younger students could get pencil cases filled with erasers, crayons and a pair of scissors. Older students had the binders and folders they needed.
On Monday evening, car after car pulled up to the front of the school, where volunteers from the Fast Track program passed out the packs. The annual effort, organized by the United Way of Johnson County, was a lifesaver, parent Brandy Barnett said.
“It’s wonderful. Especially with COVID, it’s been a huge help to get through things when money’s been tight and people are still trying to catch up,” she said. “Catching yourself up when you’re been down doesn’t happen overnight, so being able to come to something like this, where I know my kids have everything they need to start fresh, it’s a huge help.”
Dozens of Franklin students and their parents took part in the Custer Baker event on Monday, the last of six Fast Track distributions at each of the county’s six school districts. With their supplies in hand, participating students were ready to make it a great school year.
“I’m excited for math, and to learn new things,” said Athena Barnett, who will be a third grader at Needham Elementary School. “I love school.”
Each summer since 2001, the United Way has hosted Fast Track events. The program reduces stress for families and teachers by ensuring that kids are well prepared for learning on the first day of school. Among local teachers, 95% said children equipped with needed supplies reduces stress on the first day of school, according to the United Way.
Of the parents who attend Fast Track, 97% said it reduced their stress about providing their child supplies for the first day of school.
“It’s such a relief. It’s one less thing we have to worry about,” said Kimberly Richardson, whose son Jakobe Hunt will be in eighth grade at Franklin Community Middle School.
Families were also provided with information from a variety of different agencies within the community, in case they had additional needs and were unsure of where to go for help.
“It’s difficult for some parents, because sometimes they don’t have the money to provide school supplies needed because they’re worried about rent, they’re worried about utilities, they’re worried about food. This lifts the burden off of those families who struggle to make ends meet,” said Nancy Lohr Plake, executive director of the United Way of Johnson County.
Supplies were collected at drop-off locations throughout the county, including at all Johnson County Public Library branches and Home Bank, Huntington Bank, First Merchants Bank and Horizon Bank locations. The Stuff the Bus event on July 10 at the three Walmart locations in the county, allowed people to donated additional items to the effort, Plake said.
This year, 1,859 children attended the Fast Track distribution events, compared to 2,091 kids who took part in 2020, and 1,621 in 2019.
“We’re seeing the numbers go down, but they’re still higher than they were before COVID,” Plake said.
On Monday, a team of volunteers from Franklin schools and other local organizations were on hand to help the families who drove up. When a family arrived, they were greeted by volunteers with a list, who checked their name and then went to get the supplies that matched what they needed.
The process was efficient and quick, with shouts of “first-grade boy,” “eighth-grade girl” or “kindergarten boy” ringing out while volunteers collected the correct backpacks.
Members of the Franklin chapter of Tri Kappa were part of the volunteer corps helping out, and had taken part in Fast Track nearly every year.
“We’re focused on three things: charity, culture and education. This combines charity and education, and we have a lot of teachers and bus drivers in our membership, so it’s a perfect fit for us,” said Marti Schrock, a Tri Kappa member who was volunteering Monday night.
Seeing the smiles on kids’ faces as they clutched their brand-new backpack, it helped underscore how vital Fast Track is to the community. And for those involved, it ensured that no student was at an educational disadvantage before the first school bell rings.
“All children begin the school year on an even playing field. Parents and children can go to school knowing they have the supplies to succeed,” Plake said.
