MARYVILLE, Tenn. — School is starting for many children in East Tennessee, but not all of them are ready for it. Some may not have shoes, backpacks and other supplies they need to succeed.
So, RIO Revolution Church in Maryville stepped up Saturday morning to ensure children were ready for school during its Helping Hands event. People were assigned a time when they could appear based on their last name, to minimize the number of people together at once due to COVID-19.
Around 400 volunteers showed up in total. Masks were required for all participants. They handed out 1,330 tennis shoes, 1,380 backpacks, 835 boxes of food and 1,200 pounds of ground beef.
"We've really been putting a lot of emphasis on treating people the way we'd like to be treated," said Pacer Hepperly, the church's pastor. "So the volunteers here today are serving these children and these parents. In their view of that, it's the same as serving Jesus."
Officials said around 2,200 people showed up at the event in total.