Summerfest helps fill students’ needs
More than 200 families went back-to-school shopping Tuesday, where they picked out shoes, clothing and even food to prepare for the imminent start of the school year.
But the racks of clothing and stacks of shoeboxes weren’t in a department store or shop, but in the gymnasium of Broad Street Elementary School, where dozens of volunteers helped students find outfits in their size — all free of charge.
Tuesday was the second annual Summerfest in the Butler Area School District, which the nonprofit Inspired Hearts and Hands organized to fill needs of students at Broad Street, Emily Brittain and McQuistion elementary schools.
The event also featured nearly 20 community organizations, which Mindy Schnitgen, founder and owner of Inspired Hearts and Hands, said were present to help build the community in the district.
“We didn’t want to do this just for a select group of people, we wanted to make sure we could do it for everyone,” Schnitgen said. “We went to find where the greatest need was.”
Inspired Hearts and Hands hosted the first Summerfest last year for Broad Street and Emily Brittain, but the nonprofit added McQuistion to the effort this year to help even more families. About 725 individuals in 210 families registered for the event, which Schnitgen said was about five times the number of people that attended last year.
Schnitgen also said Summerfest organizers had been preparing for the event for months, and it involved about 70 volunteers who raised about $20,000 in donations and even more counting clothing donations to put it on.
People in the crowd danced to amplified music, played on the playground and visited community booths in the Broad Street park Tuesday afternoon, which Schnitgen was happy to see.
“There really aren’t words to describe how full my heart is at the turnout here,” Schnitgen said. “It took a collection, a community of people to make it happen, and I just hope they feel a sense of relief and excitement to get the food and clothes.”
District superintendent Brian White applauded Inspired Hearts and Hands for organizing the event and said Schnitgen initially approached administrators about putting it together.
“She’s the magic that makes this happen,” White said.
Vanessa Boyd, principal of Broad Street Elementary, said she was happy to see Summerfest return after the success of last year’s event. She also said events like it help to build a supportive atmosphere for all the elementary school families.
“We are creating an environment where people can be their best,” Boyd said. “We want our parent-teacher organization, after-school volunteers, lunch monitors and students to work together to make the school a community.
“This is what we do for our entire area, because we are a community.”
Inspired Hearts and Hands received more than 5,000 items of clothing through donations for the event, and purchased about 700 pairs of shoes. Schnitgen said it was important for her to address the need for clothing in the district, because students learn better when they are confident and comfortable.
Josh Hundertmark, who is the new principal of Emily Brittain following the closing of Butler Middle school, said students excel when they are happy.
“Students need to be comfortable and confident, and that includes in their clothing,” Hundertmark said. “That’s part of the excitement with all the back-to-school shopping, and it’s great we could give that to people here.”
Schnitgen said the event’s volunteers accommodate families who didn’t register ahead of time just to make sure anyone in need was served. She said the event aimed to address as many student needs as possible, and only really missed housing.
“If we could help with clothing, food, shoes, love — we are trying to touch every aspect of their needs,” Schnitgen said.
