Registration Celebration

Elisabeth Hock squeezed her eyes shut as a volunteer trimmed her hair at Borah Elementary School on Tuesday.

"Lookin' good, sister," said her mother, Jeannie Hock, with a smile.

Without the donated services provided on registration day, Jeannie said, she and her husband couldn't provide the 9-year-old with a new haircut.

Or school supplies.

"Honestly, when you are low income, like a lot of families in this area are, it is a God-send," said Jeannie, adding that she is on 100 percent disability and her husband is applying for disability, too. "Every little bit helps."

The Hocks were just one of many grateful families at Borah Elementary's Registration Celebration.

Thanks to a multitude of donations from local churches and businesses, the school helped hundreds of parents in need by providing free lunch, haircuts, clothing and school supplies while they registered for classes.

"This is a really important need," said Becky Burke, volunteer coordinator at Borah. "Everybody at Borah wants children to be successful and know how important their education is."

About 70 to 75 percent of the school population receives free or reduced lunches, Burke said, meaning that many are low income.

"Most families work two or more jobs and have more than one child, so providing school supplies is difficult," Burke said. "If we didn't provide them, they'd come to school without."

Roughly 300 kids were expected to take advantage of the free services on Tuesday, which included haircuts from Shine Salon, hot dogs from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and school supplies donated by churches and businesses.

Families lined up along tables in the school gym, where several closets worth of donated clothing was stacked.

"How about this for your little girl?" asked volunteer Catherine Boyee, holding up a pink hoodie.

"Oh, that's darling," replied Rebecca Grijalva, as her five tots, ranging from 2 to 9 years old, scampered around her legs.

Money is tight as a widow, she said, especially with two kids in school now and the rest on their way.

Grijalva is counting on the free school supplies to help the family get by, she said.

"The higher kids get in school, the more that's expected on the (supply) lists," she said. "It can tighten (finances) the month before school starts."

As Ericka and Ben Taylor stood in line to register their 5-year-old Dylan, they pointed to the boy's new buzz cut the volunteers gave him. He also sported a Seattle Seahawks jacket he had eagerly seized from the pile.

With the current economy, the family needs help with school expenses more than ever, Ericka said.

"We just moved here and we're unemployed," she said, adding that they recently moved from Seattle to Coeur d'Alene for a new start. "It was a relief to know this event was going on. This is really a blessing for us."

Just outside the school, families picked out school supplies piled in bins, volunteers asking children's color preferences on folders and backpacks.

Even though Borah tries to keep its supplies list shorter than other schools, Burke said, teachers have still had to occasionally provide supplies for their classes.

"Teachers often spend that out of their own pockets," she said, adding that this event will hopefully prevent that this year.

Holding a bag of new supplies and the turquoise backpack her 8-year-old daughter picked out, Julie Wingham said her family was glad to save some money.

"Pay has gone down this year," said Wingham, adding that she works for the school district. "She (my daughter) is really grateful, and I teach her there are families in worse need to help make her aware."

Burke said the event wouldn't have been possible without sponsors and donators, including: Costco, Coeur d'Alene Assembly of God, Staples, Boys and Girls Club, Walmart, Idaho Division of Vocational Rehab, US Bank, Washington Trust Bank, Spokane Teachers Credit Union and more.

Volunteers were also provided by Kohl's and Starbucks, she said.

"It's quite a consortium of people out there who have donated," Burke said.

Shannon Derby watched her twin 5-year-olds Xackary and Xander munch on free popcorn on Tuesday and show off their new backpacks.

It was both the free gear and the easy registration process she enjoyed, she said.

As a mom preparing for kindergarten for the first time, she needs all the help she can get, she said.

Emotionally and financially, she added.

"I didn't expect anything like this," she said, bag of supplies in hand. "It really helps them get prepared, and be less nervous. I know I am."