HOLLAND, Mich. — Families are expected to spend an average of $611 on school supplies this year, according to a survey from NerdWallet. A Holland nonprofit is hoping to ease some of that burden.
WATCH: Holland nonprofit to give away 900 backpacks, free supplies at back-to-school event Friday
Latin Americans United for Progress, known as LAUP, is hosting a Back to School Bash this Friday at the nonprofit's location, offering free school supplies, backpacks, and more to students and families in the community.
"We're going to be having and giving away free school supplies to students in the community, as well as ice cream, and just overall, just creating an environment for family and community to come together," said Edgar Mandujano, LAUP youth program coordinator.
Volunteers have assembled 900 backpacks in preparation for the event, which runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Attendees will also find free kids activities, face painting, and resources from 27 different organizations and nonprofits.
"One of the ways that LAUP and a bunch of these community partners coming together are trying to accomplish is just, kind of, trying to offset some of those costs for people in the community," Mandujano said.
Families are welcome to attend, but children must be present to receive a backpack.
"This event is for families and students, so just for anybody who can really benefit from the resources and school supplies," Mandujano said.
For LAUP marketing intern Anakarina Morales, the event carries personal meaning. The Western Michigan University junior grew up in Holland and attended LAUP's youth programs as a teenager.
"I fell in love with LAUP when I was in eighth grade. It has helped me tremendously, especially my senior year," Morales said.
Morales said the organization shaped her in ways that extended far beyond the classroom.
"Through LAUP, I learned community service skills, how to be a leader, how to communicate, how to do all these little things. It introduced me to my dream school, which was Western. It introduced me to a program that I later became a part of, and introduced me to an organization that I have the privilege and honor to be an intern at," Morales said.
Now working on the other side of those programs, Morales said she sees firsthand how much families are struggling with rising costs.
"I'm seeing that a lot of people have been struggling to get those supplies as things have been going up in prices, and a lot of people having to make those sacrifices of, 'should I buy this, should I buy that?'" Morales said.
For Morales, LAUP is more than a nonprofit — it's home.
"LAUP to me, for the longest, was an organization that helped out here in Holland and an organization that I had the privilege to be a part of, but now seeing it from inside in, it is a familia, it's a family," Morales said.
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