Greenville County students return to school on Thursday, Aug. 8, Spartanburg County on Monday, Aug. 12, and Anderson County on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Parents are busy preparing for back-to-school shopping, gathering school supplies, shopping for new clothes, and ensuring their children have everything they need for a successful school year.
This year, back-to-school shopping has a twist: Parents face higher school supplies and clothing prices.
Inflation has driven up the cost of everything from notebooks to backpacks, making it more challenging for families to stick to their budgets.
As a result, many organizers and businesses are hosting free back-to-school events and giving out free school supplies to students.
These events include a community fair where families can pick up essential school supplies and clothing resources that provide gently used or new clothes to help parents facing financial hardships.
Also, some events are offering free hairstyles and haircuts.
Here is a list of back-to-school events parents and their children can attend to save on school supplies, haircuts, and hairstyles.
Greenville County
Back-to-school events are available in Greenville County to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.
Consider attending the United of Way of Greenville Schools Tools event on Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Carolina High School, 2725 Anderson Road, Greenville. The School Tools Project serves families to help their children in the upcoming school year.
Participants will receive a new backpack filled with grade-appropriate supplies and free food, which will be on-site.
Donations can be dropped off at Carolina High School on July 22 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and July 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Verizon Wireless, free backpacks
To relieve families' financial burdens as they head into another school year, Verizon Wireless retail locations in Greenville will give away hundreds of free backpacks on Sunday, July 28, at 1 p.m.
Verizon-authorized retailer Round Room is hosting its 12th Annual "School Rocks Backpack Giveaway" event. Backpacks are a high-priced item on the school supplies list, and the average cost of supplies for families is around $890.
Round Room aims to ease some of the financial burden associated with the back-to-school season for the local families they serve.
Round Room will give over $3 million worth of backpacks to children at more than 1,000 stores nationwide.
Here is the list of Verizon Wireless retail locations where residents can pick up backpacks in the Upstate.
Stores include 1708 E. Greenville Street Studio C in Anderson, 1276 Eighteen Mile Road Studio A in Central, 2098 E. Main St. in Duncan, 2007 Augusta St. in Greenville, 3550 Highway 153 in Greenville, 3935 Pelham Road Studio G in Greenville, 810 E. Main St. Studio A in Laurens, 2603 Woodruff Road Studio A in Simpsonville, and 2190 Southport Road Studio 13 in Spartanburg.
Since the event’s inception in 2013, Round Room has given backpacks to more than 1.3 million children.
Any leftover backpacks at “School Rocks Backpack Giveaway” events will be donated to local schools of each store’s choice.
Local Ministries: Clothing Closets
Are you a parent experiencing financial hardship or crisis? Consider visiting one of these ministries or resource centers for gently used children's clothing and shoes.
Southernside Community Center, located at 846 W, Washington St., in Greenville, offers free uniforms, book bags, baby clothes, and educational programs.
Berea First Baptist Church Reaching Center, located at 529 Farrs Bridge Road , Berea, is a non-profit center that offers youth clothes and school assistance programs.
Triune Mercy Center, located at 222 Rutherford St ., Greenville, has a clothing closet for low-income families. The closet offers pants, shirts, jackets, boots, shoes, school items, baby clothes, and special programs.
Woodside Baptist Church, located at 301 Woodside Av e., Greenville, also has a clothing closet where low-income families can find sneakers, shoes, school uniforms, dresses, and more.
Greer Relief and Resources Agency, located at 113C Berry Avenue, Greer , has a renewal program. Neighbors take classes to earn renewal dollars to shop in the renewal shop.
The Greenville County Salvation Army, located at 417 Rutherford St. , has a clothing closet, thrift store, and school backpack program, and free school supply items are given out to income-qualified kids from elementary to high school age students.
What to know about free haircuts?
Some events will provide school supplies and offer free haircuts to ensure children look and feel their best on the first day of school.
On July 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Central will host a back-to-school event in partnership with Lawrence Chapel United Methodist Church, located at 2101 Six Mile Hwy. More than 100 free haircuts will be given to children to prepare them for the new school year.
Lawrence Chapel UMC will also give away free shoes to school-age children. For more details and to sign up, visit the volunteer page www.cutsforconfidence.org/signup
To sign up for free haircuts, please visit https://forms.gle/F4q9iXNgwLe3yipHA
Spartanburg County
Residents of Spartanburg County can also look forward to a free back-to-school supply event.
To help with the cost, United Way of Piedmont asks businesses and individuals to donate school supplies to students in need across the community through the Stuff the Bus campaign every year.
If you would like to donate school supplies to Upstate students in need, participants can shop at their favorite store and drop off their donations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on July 23 and July 24 at the SCC Downtown Campus at 220 E. Kennedy St.
Some needed items include backpacks, pencils, glue sticks, notebooks, rulers, and crayons.
On July 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fretwell Market in Spartanburg will host games and activities for kids, offer food, and more. There will also be a SYP Family Day at the YMCA from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You an also drop off school supplies at both of these Spartanburg events.
In Cherokee County, residents can also drop off their donations at the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, 312 E. Frederick St, in Gaffney, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. from July 22 to Aug. 6.
You can also shop for the needed supplies at the Gaffney Walmart and drop them off in the designated Sheriff's Department bins at the front of the store on July 27 and Aug. 3 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
In Union, in partnership with Union County School District , United Way of the Piedmont will deliver the donated supplies to students who lack the tools needed to succeed.
P.S I love you, Ministries
The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office at 8045 Howard St. has partnered with PS I Love You Ministries to collect back-to-school supplies for the upcoming school year.
Residents can drop off school supplies at their front desk during business hours or visit their Amazon wishlist .
You can also drop off supplies at the PS I Love You Ministries office during business hours Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, or you can shop directly from their wish list— https://tinyurl.com/544buwt2
The PS I Love You Ministries back-to-school supplies event will be held on Aug. 4.
Town of Campobello
The town of Campobello will host a back-to-school event on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in GIB Gosnell Park, located at 117 Lanford St.
The event will feature music, door prizes, free school supplies, giveaways, and public safety vehicles.
Bucks for backpacks
Chick-fil-A in Boiling Springs on Asheville Highway invites community members to partner with them to give school supplies to needy children.
Donations can be dropped off through Aug. 2.
Una First Baptist Church
Una First Baptist Church , located at 440 New Cut Road in Spartanburg, is hosting a free school supplies event on Saturday, July 27 , from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event will also feature food, clothes, snow cones, and more.
Una First Back to School supplies
One thousand free book bags will also be available from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on July 21 at Una First Free Will Baptist Church at 2130 Caldwell Road in Una.
From 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be music, entertainment, rides, bounce houses, and food.
Anderson County
There are also plenty of back-to-school supply events in Anderson, where participants can pick essential items for the new school year.
These events aim to support students and families by providing necessary school supplies at no cost.
If you come to the Anderson Mall for bac k-to-school shopping, consider stopping by for a free school supply giveaway on July 25 from 11:00 a.m. until supplies last.
The event will feature free Domino's pizza, Flo's Cafe , and free children's books.
This event is hosted by the Anderson County Office of the Coroner , Anderson Oconee Behavioral Health , and Anderson Area Crime Stoppers .
If you plan on attending, fill out the form so they can count the number attending and know your children's ages and grades.
This event is sponsored by The Peoples Bank SC , The Dunaway Law Firm , Cookie Cutters Anderson , Mt. Bethel Baptist , AnMed ED , Hospice of the Upstate , Anderson County Sheriff's Office , and Cricket Wireless.
Many other local charitable organizations and businesses also have back-to-school supply events.
Ministry Center
On Saturday, July 20, the Ministry Center at 211 Anderson St. in Piedmont wil l host a free back-to-school supplies event .
Free breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., free school supplies from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and free haircuts will be available.
K Stylez and Slayed by Simone
K Stylez and Slayed by Simone will host a back-to-school supplies event on July 30, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 1135 W. Franklin St. in Anderson.
The event will feature free school supplies, games, food, and free haircuts.
This event is sponsored by Danni's Divine , Sik and Pooh, and Ross Johnson .
Elite Kustomz
On Aug. 9, Elite Kustomz will host a back-to-school supplies event for the Anderson area.
Residents can come in anytime before the meeting to donate or bring their donations and participate in the event.
Elite Kustomz is collecting backpacks, markers, crayons, colored pencils, pencil pouches, and other essential school supplies.
The official back-to-school supplies event will be held on July 27 at Elite Kustomz, 904 N. Main St. in Anderson, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This year, all donations will go to a local elementary school, helping to equip students with the tools they need for a successful school year.
First light
First Light will collect school supplies in July to help families return to school this fall.
Supplies can be dropped off or mailed to the First Light office at 216 E. Calhoun St. in Anderson.
Suggested items include backpacks, pencils, crayons, markers, pink pearl erasers, Elmer's glue sticks, notebook paper, plastic folders, pencil boxes, and hand sanitizer.
Eastside Park Back to School Bash
Loan Officer Monique Hogan and Justice Hill Realty will also sponsor a back-to-school bash at Eastside Park, 308 Jefferson Ave. in Anderson, on Sunday, July 28, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The event will feature food, refreshments, games, activities, and music. Bookbags and school supplies will also be given out.
Hey Students, End of Summer Bash
The Better Chance After organization is hosting a back-to-school jam at 918 W. Whitner St. on Aug. 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature games, bouncy houses, free food, school supplies, dunking booths, a bookbag giveaway, and chances to win prizes.
Contact Dominique Brownlee at thebetterchanceafter@gmail.com for more information.
Starr Fire Department
Starr Fire Department, located at 7715 SC-81 in Starr, will host its third annual back-to-school bash on Saturday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The event will feature a water slide, foam party, snow cones, and more. The first 100 kids will receive a free book bag filled with supplies.
864 Legends Gym
The 864 gym at 3014 N Main St Unit L is hosting a backpack giveaway for back-to-school supplies starting at 11 a.m.
The event will feature free food, a water slide, and a dunk tank.
Anderson Farmers Market
There will be a back-to-school giveaway on Saturday, July 27, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Anderson Farmers Market at 40z N. Murray Ave. in Anderson.
Editor's Note: If we left your back-to-school school supplies event, please email trose@gannett.com
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Back to school: Where to get free school supplies in Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson
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