Rural Health Services Inc. holds free school supply give away | Aiken Area News

The heat didn’t stop many families in Aiken from getting a full bag of school supplies for the school year.

Rural Health Services Inc. had its annual school supply giveaway at the Clyburn Center for Primary Care to offer additional school supplies for students during the school year.

The event also included car seat safety checks to make sure children were in the correct car seat.

Saturday’s event was the last event that was part of National Healthcare Week that Rural Health Services had, which included and event for the homeless, a food give away and a legislative breakfast.

Families who drove by received coupons for Chick-fil-A and for a haircut at a local barbershop.

Rural Health Services prepared about 300 school supply bags for elementary, middle and high school children to be picked up during the giveaway. 

“These are just some things they can keep aside for later on” Aiken City Councilwoman Gail Diggs said.

Diggs said people coming to get school supplies was steady and expected a rush toward the end of the event.

“Last year everyone waited until the last minute,” Diggs said.

Diggs said if any bags were left over, they would be taken to pediatrics center at the Margaret J. Weston Community Health Center.

Aiken residents Eddie and Kay Miles came out to the supply giveaway after hearing about the event from their niece.

Nikki Cannon brought her daughter Sheridan to get additional school supplies.

“It’s absolutely a good thing for the community and to help individuals that need school supplies,” Cannon said.

Diggs said even though the event was lot different, since school started earlier than usual this year, she said it was important to give back to the community.

“We still wanted to make the supplies available,” she said.