Events to offer free school supplies, uniforms

Students have two upcoming chances in Patterson to get ready for the school year by receiving free school uniforms and supplies.

New Salem Baptist Church in Patterson will host its sixth annual Free School Uniforms and Supplies event 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. The church is located at 1412 Cherry St.

On July 28, Word of Life Family Church, located at 108 Ryan St. in Patterson, will have its Church School Fair 9-10:30 a.m. Organizers give away free school supplies, free school uniforms and free shoes while supplies last. Children must be present to receive supplies.

This year is the 16th annual school fair at Word of Life Family Church. Nell Lamury and her husband, the late Rev. Lee Lamury, started the fair. Lee Lamury died at the end of 2013.

“We were both educators before we went into the ministry, and we just wanted the kids to be ready to go to school,” Nell Lamury said.

They started out providing vision and hearing checks and then later started providing uniforms, school supplies and shoes, she said. Each child who attends the fair receives a new pair of tennis shoes, a uniform and a bag of supplies. Organizers average serving about 250 students each year.

Another back-to-school event will also be held in Patterson shortly after schools get back in session.

On Aug. 18, Patterson Civic Organization plans to hold a Back-to-School program at Cherry Street Park at 3 p.m. with free food and school supplies.