Coalition 4 Kids offers free haircuts, dental screenings before school

New backpacks, fresh haircuts and some last minute summer fun is in store for local students before the first school bell rings in August. Coalition for Kids is partnering with Wellpoint Tennessee to provide students with haircuts, backpacks and wellness screenings before the new school year during an all-out Back-to-School Bash that served more than 400 community members last year. The free event is set for 4 to 6 p.m. July 16 at Coalition for Kids, 2423 Susannah St. in Johnson City. Multiple nonprofits and agencies will participate in the event, with Wellpoint Tennessee, an organization that specializes in state-sponsored insurance plans, formerly known as Amerigroup, fully sponsoring the event. Healing Hands will provide dental referrals, while the Washington County Health Department will offer dental screenings. Backpacks, haircuts and additional wellness resources will be available at no cost while supplies last. Coalition for Kids Executive Director Randy Hensley said the event offers more than just the basics, with resources and activities designed to make students feel excited and confident about the upcoming school year. "It's a great way to give kids a confidence boost going into the school year," Hensley said. "Especially those who are underserved. When the kids go back to school, they've now got this new backpack, a pair of tennis shoes, a new bike and their books and paper — everything you'd want — it just uplifts the kids' self-esteem and encourages them to go in with confidence and not feel isolated." Now in its second year, the Back-to-School Bash has grown from a smaller partnership between Coalition for Kids and Wellpoint Tennessee into one of the nonprofit's largest community events. "Last year was our first year, and it turned out to be just a tremendously large event," Hensley said. "I didn't expect as much as they had put into it. The sponsors got in contact with so many different folks, from people giving away ice cream and health checks to nonprofits that serve people who may need rent assistance." Last year's event also featured books, backpacks, games and about 25 bicycles that were given away to children, Hensley said. He said the partnership began four or five years ago when Wellpoint first connected families with information about available state benefits. Since then, he said, the collaboration has expanded each year into the larger community event it is today. A pop-up farmers market will also be available during this year's event, where participants will receive tokens to purchase fresh meat and produce. Hensley said the event helps ease the financial burden many families face. "We know that is not inexpensive," he said. "I have six kids, and I know what it costs when you go to the store and say, 'I need to get the school supply list.' It is a crazy amount of money we're spending on our kids, but we got to do it. How do you do it when you don't have the funds?" Hensley said many children today face challenges that previous generations did not because communities and support systems have become more transient. "There is a gap that our children have experienced," he said. "When they're 6, 7 and 8, the level of insecurity can be shocking — to watch a child with anxiety at 8 years old because of the relationships they didn't get to build like when I was young is hard. Nowadays, people are so transient. Families move, and neighborhoods change, which is challenging." Coalition for Kids is a faith-based nonprofit that serves more than 800 children each day through after-school programs across Johnson City, Washington County and Bristol. Hensley said the nonprofit expects to reach nearly 1,000 students daily this year as it expands into three new schools. During the school year, Coalition for Kids provides free snacks and dinner, while its summer program offers breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. Hensley said the organization has also been recognized by the state for its third-grade reading outcomes. "Every child deserves a community," he said. "Coalition For Kids isn't simply an after-school program. We build relationships that help children grow academically, physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially through our Blueprint For Hope. "We believe every child has God-given potential, and every day we work to help them discover it." While the Back-to-School Bash lasts just one evening, Hensley said it reflects Coalition for Kids' year-round mission. "I think we're just a full-service organization that serves every family as if we're their uncle, friend, mentor, cook, or granny in the kitchen," he said. "It's important to us to meet the many needs that every child has."