The families of 1,000 students will not have to worry about the hustle and bustle of back-to-school shopping this year.

Hundreds of children will head to school this September equipped with all they will need for a successful academic year.

And their parents won't have to spend a dime.

As a part of its "Help a Child" initiative, Stephen C. Munroe International (SCMI) and partners is holding its first back to school extravaganza today in the southern parking lot of the Thomas A. Robinson stadium.

Noting the hardships faced by many parents given difficult economic times, the organization has sought to make a difference.

"We will be giving away all sorts of school supplies to some 1,000 children to prepare them for school," said Stephen Munroe, founder of SCMI.

"It is not what we hope to do.

"It is what we will do.

"We have partnered with a number of amazing companies who have helped us with this initiative.

"This is just our first year , but we can possibly turn this into something annual.

"We feel the need to give back and that is what we are doing.

"We are giving back to our own people.

"We understand the climate.

"We recognize that times are hard.

"We recognize that some parents just don't have it.

"We are here to give it to them."

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., SCMI will be donating school bags, pencils, pens and many more school supplies.

They will also be giving out shoes and free hair cuts.

Performing at the event will be local artists like The Gospel Boys, Dj Counsellor, Christian Massive, and Charlie the Talking Bird.

Munroe said it is an event for the whole family.

"It is going to be in an environment of family fun," he said.

"We are going to have free food and drinks, a bouncing castle and so much more.

"The whole event is for kids to have a fun day before they go back to school and to help their parents with preparing hem for back to school.

"The vision is to help people.

"The three-fold assignment of SCMI is to build, equip and empower lives.

"The way we seek to do that is through business networking, entrepreneurs and holding seminars.

"We believe that the whole man has to be fed and not just the temporal, but the spirit, soul and the body.

"The vision has been in my heart forever."

Munroe said the back to school extravaganza is just one of the many initiatives SCMI plans to do for the community.

Jayme C. Pinder, Guardian Staff Reporter

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian