ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Families preparing for the upcoming school year received free backpacks, school supplies and snacks Friday during the third annual Back to School Bash hosted by the Lehigh Conference of Churches.
The event provided nearly 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to help families facing rising costs ahead of the new school year.
“The community means everything for us. I think any way we can help is beneficial in a lot of different ways,” said Christopher Moran, director of development for the Lehigh Conference of Churches.
Moran said the organization hopes the event eases some of the financial burden on parents while giving children the tools they need to start the school year prepared.
As organizations like the Lehigh Conference of Churches work to help families at the local level, Senator Lisa Boscola is proposing legislation that would create a limited-time sales tax holiday on school supplies.
“They could save a lot of money if we got rid of the sales tax just for like a two week period of time,” Boscola said.
The proposed legislation is currently before the Senate Finance Committee. If the committee approves the bill, it will advance to the full Senate for consideration and a vote.
The Back to School Bash is held annually, with Moran saying they plan to continue the event each year for as long as the community needs the support.