BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – Purchasing school supplies for the first day of school can be costly for families.

In Brooklyn Park, a grassroots initiative by community members is helping to ease the financial burden on parents while providing a little fun for children.

The first queues formed on Saturday at the fourth annual “Honored to Help” barbecue and backpack distribution.

“We want to bring the community together so we can show our community what family looks like and what it should be. We want to create more unity in the community,” said Clint “Scooter” Draughn, who grew up in the neighborhood.

With his nonprofit organization “Honored to Help,” he has made it his mission to provide families with school supplies and promote community spirit.

“When I was younger, that didn’t necessarily exist, especially in this area, so I wanted to make sure we had it and that they had the resources they needed. Good vibes, fun, all free,” Draughn said.

From handing out free food to giving out clothing, there were also bouncy castles for children and access to resources for parents – all in one place.

“We are the community, so we serve the community as one. It’s not like we come into the community and feel sorry for them and then help. It’s like we need to take care of ourselves, and let’s do it right. We know what we need,” Draughn said.

What is most needed are school supplies.

Scooter and his volunteers had more than 3,000 backpacks to give away.

“It’s great for us to see the kids come out and get the backpacks,” Janice Graham said.

For parents, this event is a reassuring certainty as they do not have to choose between their child’s school supplies and other living expenses.

“I adopted five of my grandchildren and that has helped us a lot. Keeping supplies in place is a struggle for me every year,” Graham said.

If you missed this or other backpack givingaways in the state, there are two tax relief programs that can help Minnesota families pay for back-to-school expenses.

Families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade may be eligible for a tax reduction or a higher refund with the Subtraction and credit for grades 1 to 12.

Taking advantage of one of these programs provides financial benefits to Minnesota families because they pay less in taxes and may receive a larger refund when filing a Minnesota income tax return.

These back-to-school loans are among Minnesota’s nation-leading Child tax allowance This has saved more than $545 million this year for more than 215,000 Minnesota families.