Lufkin's Back to School Bonanza celebrates 16 years of giving back to Deep East Texas families

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - For 16 years, the Junior League of Lufkin's Back to School Bonanza has made sure families in Deep East Texas don't have to choose between paying bills and sending their kids to school ready to learn - and this year was no [KLTV Channel 7 News]

LUFKIN — The Junior League of Lufkin distributed free school supplies, clothing and health services to hundreds of families during the opening day of its annual assistance event, addressing economic pressures that have made back-to-school shopping increasingly unaffordable for many households.

The two-day assistance program at the Lufkin Convention Center served 707 families on its first day, providing more than 1,559 packed backpacks along with haircuts, vision examinations and lice screenings. The organization also offered shoes and clothing at no cost to participants from across the Deep East Texas region.

The initiative arrives as American families face record back-to-school expenses. The National Retail Federation projects households will spend nearly $800 per child for kindergarten through 12th grade this year, contributing to a nationwide total of $43.3 billion — the highest amount in at least six years, according to the federation's data.

Sheridan Fuller, who chairs the assistance program, emphasized the event's relevance to struggling families. "Everything's expensive nowadays. And so we're able to just provide to our community things that shouldn't cost an arm and a leg that do, such as school supplies. Just the essentials to start school," Fuller said.

The assistance program has expanded substantially since launching 16 years ago. Originally operated from local churches, organizers relocated the event to the convention center to accommodate growing participation. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily moved operations outdoors, but the program returned indoors last year, restoring services such as haircuts and vision screenings.

For Jeny De La Cruz, the vendors and vouchers committee chair, the program holds personal significance. A decade ago, after her mother's death, she raised two younger siblings while struggling to afford school supplies. After learning of the assistance program through a community contact, she attended as a recipient for several years. Now in her third year as a Junior League member, De La Cruz helps distribute backpacks to families facing similar circumstances.