WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The West Palm Beach Police Department handed out free school supplies to students Tuesday.
With one child in elementary school, one in middle school and another in high school, Tiffany Lambert said the "Chill with the Chief Backpack and School Supplies Giveaway" is a godsend.
"Right now, it's hard times for everybody, so any little help we can get with the supplies, the bags, anything, I'm grateful for as a parent," she said.
Now that her kids have supplies, Lambert said, she can focus on other things.
"Because you have bills going up, price of clothing, food, everything. So it's a big help," she said.
To do well in school, students have to have the necessary supplies. There are some items, like pencils and paper that every kid needs, regardless of age. These items are no-brainers, but there are also certain items unique to a student's grade level.
So, the West Palm Beach Police Fund that's putting on this event set up three stations. One spot is set up for elementary school kids, another is for those in middle school and the third stop is for high school students.
"Everyone needs school supplies and it's an opportunity for us to supply people that are in need of them and, in the meantime, actually get an opportunity to engage in dialogue and work on making a positive connection in the neighborhood," West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley said.
"It's a great event for the kids and for the community," Antonio Bean said.
He brought also brought his three kids. He said the event takes a big weight off his shoulders.
"It's a great event to help the parents to get the kids back in school," he said.
Police told WPTV that several hundreds of kids got what they needed for school.