July 8, 2025 – DeSoto County Dream Center is helping 1,500 DeSoto County students attend their first day of school feeling confident and equipped with quality school supplies through their Backpack Giveaway event on July 12.
This community event for the whole family will be a day of family fun, kicking off the school year with prayer and a devotional for each student, hot dogs, snow cones, bounce houses, and fun activities for the kids from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Latimer Lakes Park in Horn Lake.
The DeSoto County Dream Center (DCDC) is a local nonprofit organization committed to spreading Christ’s love and hope to the underserved in DeSoto County by providing quality healthcare, educational assistance, food, and clothing to Title I school students and their families.
For some Title I schools in DeSoto County, over 75 percent of families are currently living below the poverty line. Thanks to the generosity of the Homer Skelton Charitable Foundation and approximately 300 valued volunteers spending a hot summer day serving, the Backpack Giveaway is just one way that DCDC aims to help ease the financial burden on families with school-age children.
DeSoto County students (K-12) must be present in order to receive a backpack and there will be one backpack given per child. Visit desotodreamcenter.org/backpack-giveaway for more details about this event and additional opportunities to get involved.
This community-wide outreach is part of DCDC’s holistic approach to breaking cycles of generational poverty by establishing relationships and trust, meeting immediate needs, and then providing ongoing relational support to help families establish greater stability.
There are still opportunities to volunteer or give to support this FREE family day of fun. If you would like more information on how to partner with them and make a significant impact on the DeSoto County community, visit www.desotodreamcenter.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab.
