Nonprofits, churches offer free back-to-school supplies in Atlanta area

It’s that time of year again when students store away those summer memories and get ready to hit the books.

There are several organizations available to help ease that transition with free school supplies and programs.

Here is a list of some of the events:

• Hosea Helps will host the 11th Annual Back-to-School Jamboree for more than 3,000 children. Children in need will receive a free backpack full of school supplies, health screenings, food and clothes to prepare for the upcoming school year. In addition, there will also be computers available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Turner Field in the blue parking lot, 755 Hank Aaron Drive S.E.

• World Changers Church International will distribute backpacks and other school supplies to thousands of students from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday on the church's main campus, 2500 Burdett Road in College Park. The event is free.

• During the month of July, Perimeter Church will host its back-to-school drive, which will provide more than 2,500 backpacks filled with school supplies as well as tablets, laptops and needed personal hygiene products to local families, schools and partnering nonprofit organizations. The drive ends on Saturday, when more than 300 volunteers from Perimeter will come together at the fourth annual Summer Serve Day to assemble backpacks, hygiene kits and emergency food kits for distribution to families, schools and nonprofits. If you want to donate, go to www.perimeter.org/backtoschool. Perimeter's back-to-school drive supports 11 Gwinnett County elementary schools, a DeKalb County school, and eight nonprofit organizations. Schools will receive book bags with supplies, emergency food kits, homework kits and tablets. Perimeter's nonprofit partners will also receive feminine hygiene products, socks and underwear to accommodate a growing need to support families.

• Atlanta Public Schools will host its second annual APS Back-to-School Bash from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 30 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building A, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. N.W. The event is a one-stop shop for all incoming and returning APS students preparing for the first day of school on Aug. 3. It will include free health screenings, community and after-school resources, fun activities for children, raffles and prize giveaways and a backpack stuffed with school supplies (while supplies last). Students in grades pre-K-12 must be present and show their APS report card to receive a backpack. Admission is free for all APS families.

Free shuttle bus transportation will be provided to and from the bash at 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon from the following APS schools:

Sutton Middle School, 2875 Northside Drive N.W.

Grady High School, 929 Charles Allen Drive N.E.

Jackson High School, 801 Glenwood Ave. S.E.

Douglass High School, 225 Hamilton E. Holmes Drive N.W.

Mays High School, 3450 Benjamin E. Mays Drive S.W.

Therrell High School, 3099 Panther Trail N.W.

Washington High School, 45 Whitehouse Drive N.W.

South Atlanta High School, 800 Hutchens Road S.E.

All buses will depart 15 minutes after each arrival, and no strollers or infants are permitted on the buses. APS students who require special needs transportation to and from the APS Back to School Bash may call 404-802-5500 to schedule a pickup time and location.