Hundreds Turn Out for Drive Through Kids Fair

Each July, the Indianapolis child welfare community joins forces and gathers resources to prepare local children in need for a successful school year. The Summercation Kids Fair is typically a highly anticipated event filled with free school supplies, food and fun activities for the entire family. While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the bulk of the usual activities from happening, local agencies were determined to make Kids Fair 2020 possible, even if that meant it would have to look a little different than years past.

On July 11, 2020, several volunteers and staff from Child Advocates, Choices Coordinated Care Solutions, Children’s Bureau, Inc., Indiana Child Support Bureau, and the Department of Child Services, convened in the DCS parking lot to give back to children in the Marion County child welfare system with a drive through school supply event.

Backpacks filled with notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, glue sticks, calculators and rulers were assembled and ready for distribution along with hygiene kits and gallons of milk donated by Prairie Farms. Thanks to the Kids Fair premier sponsor Lessonly, there were enough backpacks for 600 children, and with support from Marian, Inc., Cliff Bar, BMO Harris Bank, REI Investments, Anthem and Sullivan Hardware, 600 hygiene kits were also made available to families.

Although the event didn’t begin until 9 a.m., the first car arrived to wait in line at 6:45 a.m. By 8:45 a.m., the parking lot was full and by 9:35 a.m., the last backpack was distributed.

Vulnerable children in the Indianapolis area need support now more than ever and you can help in a number of ways. Please consider volunteering, donating or sharing our message with your friends and family.