Hartford Public Schools will welcome students back for the first day of school on Monday, but before then, the Capital City is making sure families have what they need to be prepared.
The second annual Back-to-School Extravaganza was a one-stop shop for Hartford families. It was being held in the LAZ parking lot on Market Street.
On Saturday, there were five tractor-trailers of food and school necessities for families. This included fresh produce and dairy products.
Vendors also supplied classroom essentials, medical screenings and COVID-19 vaccines.
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Because 44 percent of Hartford Public School students were chronically absent last year, Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez spent the day on Friday speaking with families and understanding their needs.
"There's so many different hurdles that families have. We want to make it easier and connect them with community partners, especially after so many places have been closed since covid. So it's just a one-stop-shop to take care of the community," said Angel of Edgewood Executive Director Jendayi Scott-Miller.
Last year, the event served 2,000 people and they were prepared to do it all again.
