Free backpacks with supplies available for kids going into kindergarten

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If you have a child going into kindergarten this upcoming school year, the Jacksonville Public Library has some free supplies to help them get the school year started right!

Connor Ankrom just turned 5 on Tuesday, and he’s ready to take on a new school year.

“How do you feel about going into kindergarten?” I asked him. “Good,” he said.

“We’re very excited,” Connor’s mother Bevin Ankrom added.

Now, Jacksonville’s Main Public Library is helping him out by giving him a free backpack full of supplies.

“I’m gonna show all my kindergarten friends!” Connor exclaimed as he tried on his backpack.

And there’s about 2,000 more backpacks waiting to be picked up.

The free backpacks come with things like books and also a library card, and they will be available for kids going into kindergarten at all library locations while supplies last.

The Jax Kids Book Club, a free literacy program under the non-profit Kids Hope Alliance is giving away these backpacks to help encourage a love of reading.

It’s something Bevin instilled in Connor early on.

“He loves books and I think books show him that he can do different things and learn different places and explore different worlds,” Bevin explained.

“Why do you like to read?” I asked Connor. “Because it’s so fun!” He replied.

The library has already delivered 8,000 of these backpacks to Pre-K classrooms.

But Bevin is glad they’re also here for families who visit the library.

“It’s really awesome,” she said. “I’m really grateful for that and I love coming here for story time and I’m so happy that they’re back.”

You can read more about this giveaway and the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation here: https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/blog/free-jax-kids-book-club-backpack-and-books-pre-kindergartners

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