CHUBBUCK — Josh Robinson said the community response to his Back 2 School Giveaway program has easily surpassed all his hopes.

“We now have enough supplies to fill all 1,100 backpacks,” Robinson said. “We have everything sitting here and ready to go.”

Businesses and other organizations responded, including others who had their own school supply giveaway that decided to combine efforts with Robinson.

But Robinson, director of the Back 2 School Giveaway, says the event slated for Saturday at Gate City Christian Church in Chubbuck, where he is an associate pastor, is offering so much more than just free school supplies.

“I am really jazzed about the second half of the stuff we have,” he said. “We have always been able to meet the school supply need, but we have so much more.”

Gate City Christian, located at 202 E. Siphon Road in Chubbuck, started the annual school supply giveaway several years ago to meet the needs of children in the area. That first year they gave away about 150 backpacks filled with school supplies.

That figure more than double, to a little more than 300 the following year, then to more than 500 in the third year. Last year, they gave away 814 backpacks filled with school supplies and Robinson anticipated that number could be over 1,000 this year.

Robinson said he can see some connection between the increasing numbers of children obtaining the free school supplies and clothing and the continued economic difficulties.

“It’s been tough for several years,” he said. “There are still a lot of people who are unemployed, who are living paycheck to paycheck, who can’t afford all that they need.”

Anticipating such significant growth, Robinson realized Gate City Christian could not do it alone so he decided to see if he couldn't bring the community together on the project. His approach was simply, let potential business and community partners know that Gate City Christian had purchased they 1,100 backpacks and now needed help filling those with school supplies.

The response was strong from the start, but Robinson said recent media attention about the event ignited a late round of involvement around the community.

“It's gone to a whole 'nother level,” he said of the giving.

While the need to help many of the kids in the Portneuf Valley with school supplies spawned the annual, it has become so much more over the years. Clothing and medical services were quickly added to the mix within the first couple of years.

But that has grown dramatically over the years as well. There is a room full of so many clothes at this point that it took numerous volunteers several hours to sort them all this week. A quick check from a physician or physician assistant has grown to include a dental and eye check.

“There is so much more going on this property than the backpack giveaway,” Robinson said.

Several local aid organizations will also be on hand to provide any services families attending the Back 2 School Giveaway may need. 

Once all the services have been exhausted, then the fun stuff is at hand, including an inflatable obstacle course, a building project from Home Depot, the Marshal Public Library will be there with its book wagon and Gold’s Gym will have a number of games for the children to play.

Food and drinks will also be available.

The Back 2 School Giveaway is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Gate City Christian Church and Robinson said people have been known to line up early. After getting their respective backpacks and school supplies in the church’s main sanctuary, kids, with parents in tow, will then move to an outbuilding where all the clothing will be available.

Robinson said the kids should grab a bag and take what they need. From there, it’s on to the medical services and aid organizations. After those are completed, it’s off to the fun stuff.

With the school supplies, each child will get a card that will be marked when they get all the services considered essential, the clothing, medical, and such. Once the card is completely marked they can put in a drawing for items that include electronics, games, and numerous other exciting items.