The University District Giving Away Free Back To School Supplies

The University District and Councilmember Rasheed N.C. Wyatt are hosting a free backpack giveaway; here's what you need to know. The 8th Annual Back-To-School Giveaway event will take place on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 2 to 4 pm at the Martha P. Mitchell Community Center, located at 175 Oakmont Ave in Buffalo.

Backpacks stuffed with school supplies will be provided for free. The child MUST be present at the event in order to receive a bookbag, so please make sure each child attends. Supplies will be given out on a "first-come, first-served" basis. They will also be providing complimentary hair cuts, a kids' zone, activities, food, and more.

You can reach out to the University District for more info by calling 851-5165 or visiting its Facebook page.

The first day of school this year will be on Tuesday, September 6, right after the Labor Day holiday weekend.

How Will COVID-19 Affect The 2022-23 School Year?

Will kids face strict COVID-19 guidelines this year? It doesn't seem that regulations will be as stringent as in past years. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently spoke about New York State's back-to-school plan, which includes distributing 3 million tests to schools prior to the start of the school year. Gov. Hochul also addressed whether or not kids will be required to wear masks,

This was a big issue last year. Right now, we are saying they don't. That we don't currently based on today's numbers, anticipate the need for masks in classrooms, but I'm going to reserve the right to return to this policy. If the numbers change, the circumstances change, and the severity of the illnesses changes.

She emphasized how important it is for kids to be present in classrooms at school.