Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 8-5-22

Feature
Local Non-Profit To Host Back To School Bash Event
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Sisters Empowering Women, Inc., will host its first Annual Back To School Bash Saturday, August 6th, from 9 a. m., until 1 p. m., at College Hill Church of God in Christ, 6414 N. 30th Street. The event is planned for students in grades K-12.
Those in attendance can receive a backpack filled with school supplies, a chance to win a lap- top, and department store gift cards for help with purchasing school clothes.
The event will be a family-filled day of fun with face painting, STEM activities, a selfie station and vendors.
Ms. Karin Davis-Thompson, President and Co-founder of the organization said, “We will give away at least 150 backpacks for students.
“So many of our students need a little help to get ready for the school year. It’s an exciting time and we want them to be just as prepared and con- fident as their peers.”
There will also be two informational sessions for high school students and their parents.
The first will explain the credits needed to grad- uate and how a student’s GPA is calculated. The second will discuss post-secondary options for stu- dents who may not be interested in attending col- lege.
Event organizers said they are excited for the opportunity to help the community and provide a
day of fun as well as important information stu- dents need in order to graduate.
The organization, founded by Ms. Davis- Thompson and her two sisters, Ms. Toni Boyd and Ms. Amber Conage, works to empower girls of color to be confident in who they are and com- fortable using their voice.
Ms. Conage said the group typically works with high school students, so they wanted to in- clude the informational sessions during this very critical time in their lives. “So many things that will happen in your life depend on the decisions you make as a high school student,” Ms. Conage said.
“And while college might not be the path for many of our students, there are a lot of great op- tions and pathways to success for those who decide college isn’t what they want to do.”
Ms. Boyd agreed and said it’s important that we support that choice.
“For many families of color college is seen as the path to take because we were denied the oppor- tunity for so long,” she said. “But our technical col- leges, workforce programs, and even the military can give a child the training and knowledge they need to have a successful life.”
Children must be present to receive a backpack and accompanied by an adult. Backpacks will be given on a first come, first served basis.
For more information, or to make a donation contact (813) 593-3924; or visit their website: at www.sistersempoweringwomen.org.
Sisters Empowering Women, Inc. – Toni Boyd, Karin Davis-Thompson, and Amber Conage.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2022 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 5-B