LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Families across the Las Vegas valley are gearing up for school on Monday and with that comes the need for supplies.
7th grader Jaicee is excited to go back to school. She and her little brother Vinny are doing some last-minute school supply shopping at Target.
“I miss talking to my friends and teachers,” she said. “I’m thinking of getting a new backpack, notebook, pencils, pens, things like that.”
With prices sky high many are looking for outside help to be able to afford it. That’s where The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada steps in with their Backpack & School Supply Distribution Drive-thru event.
Juan Salinas, Director of Social Services with The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada said he’s always pleased to see how many people the event benefits.
“This year we are helping over a thousand kids from Henderson to Pahrump and Mesquite,” he said.
The backpacks supplied have everything from pencils to pens, notebook paper, rulers, glue, carrying cases, and more. Parents like Heather Lotta, who is a mom of five, were able to sign up beforehand and then choose an arrival time to pick up supplies Friday.
“I signed up at the last minute actually. Last week,” she said. “With the economy being so bad and not having money for essentials like rent, that’s why I came,” she shared.
The National Retail Federation expects back-to-school spending to reach $41.5 billion this year, which would be about $4 billion more than last year.
On average, a family with children in elementary through high school plans to spend a record $890 on back-to-school items, which is about $25 more than in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation.
