This community college hosts an annual Back to School celebration that brings the community together, supports students

As Elvira Garcia led her four-year-old daughter Celeste toward a table piled high with backpacks, the array of colorful options made the rising Pre-K student gasp.

An estimated 1,000 people gathered on Saturday, Aug. 2, for the Let’s Do It Together Foundation’s fourth-annual Back to School Celebration, according to a press release from Central Carolina Community College (CCCC).

Partnering with CCCC, Manna Church, and El Refugio, the foundation put on a celebration at CCCC’s Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center, featuring food, games, giveaways, and booths to connect attendees with resources and services across Sanford. Over 565 children got backpacks and school supplies during the event, the release said.

“Our goal is to let students know that this community is rallying behind them,” said Jeanette Peace, the foundation’s lead administrator. “Everybody can’t be a teacher. Everybody can’t be in the schools, but everybody can support an effort like this.”

The celebration featured a keynote speech from Ben David, a former district attorney for New Hanover and Pender County, and the current CEO of the Community Justice Center in New Hanover County. 

“This day is really about our children,” David said. “It’s about making sure that they grow up healthy and that they grow up safe. That’s something that we can all agree on.” 

David’s address praised his community’s embrace of the “starfish model” with leaders in government, education, business, faith, and nonprofit organizations — the five “arms” — collaborating to promote community health.

CCCC President Lisa Chapman said she hoped the event would encourage greater community partnerships, adding that such bonds can be attractive to businesses. 

“I’m incredibly proud of our community, because of how we take care of our people,” Chapman said.

She added that the college wants “everyone in Sanford and Lee County, and Harnett and Chatham, to know CCCC is their college.”

“We believe that outreach is the heart of the church,” Manna Church Lead Pastor Tom Johnson said of their involvement at the event. “We know that we can do a little bit for our community, but when we partner with others… look at all the people we can help.” 

Parents, like Katrina Vaughan, expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to get free school supplies for the upcoming school year. Vaughan, who brought two of her children to the event, told the college that time spent caring for a child with special needs makes it harder to bring in income, so she was especially grateful for all the supplies.

“I think it’s awesome,” she said. “It helps so many people.” 

The back-to-school event grew out of a 2022 collaboration between Sanford faith leaders and CCCC to close achievement gaps and expand access to high-quality jobs.

Leaders like Bishop Charles Mellette and Sanford council member Byron Buckels saw the need for stronger connections between local institutions — especially as thousands of jobs at electric automotive manufacturer VinFast signaled a transformation to the region’s economy.

“We identified back to school as being a launching pad that we can work together to bring the community and academics, the faith base, and our business community together,” Mellette said in an interview with EdNC at the inaugural celebration in 2022.