Habersham County students will get to ‘shop with a cop’ this evening at the county fairgrounds to get ready for school. School Resource Officers (SROs) from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) will be on hand to help students fill their backpacks during a school supply giveaway.
The giveaway will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 1, at the fairgrounds located at 4235 Toccoa Highway in Clarkesville. This event is for Habersham County school students.
The SROs gathered supplies from the community over the past several months at donation drop-off events. This is the fourth year the sheriff’s office has sponsored a school supply giveaway. They held their first one in 2020 to help alleviate costs to families affected by COVID.
“We continued afterward because the need is still there,” explains HCSO’s Kayla Neal. “The sheriff’s office gets involved because our School Resource Officers love our students!”
Neal says Tuesday’s event will operate similarly to the ‘Shop with a Cop’ program.
“Students will arrive, select a backpack at the door, and will shop for the supplies they need with their School Resource Officer,” she says.
Students must be present to get their supplies. They should bring their school supply list with them.
Families have had several opportunities to collect donated school supplies in Habersham County. Baldwin hosted a Back to School Bash Saturday, and Hollywood Baptist Church held its third annual Hollywood Cares event Sunday. These types of events not only save families money, they also foster a sense of community.
The HCSO School Supply Giveaway, specifically, helps acquaint students with their SROs.
“This gives students the opportunity to get to know their SRO before school starts, hopefully fostering a positive relationship with that SRO and opening a door for them to feel comfortable talking to their SRO at any point in the school year.
