On Saturday, Aug. 10, Senior Pastor Rev. Jonathan Wilkins Sr. of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Centreville, supported 200 volunteers from the congregation as they ministered to a reported 2,700 guests who arrived at the church’s parking lot and grounds for its first Back-to-School Festival. Guests sought free school supplies, haircuts, braiding and styling to start the FY 2024–25 school year and to enjoy the games, rides, fun and community-building. 

Fairfax County Public Schools open Monday, Aug. 19, for the first day of classes.

Church members provided guests who had registered for their children for the event with free back-to-school supplies for their students, neatly packed per grade level in appropriate bookbags. Families arrived, not only from Centreville but also from Herndon, Reston,  Sterling, and Manassas and more.

"Our guests come from all backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities. It's amazing; it's like a rainbow out here,” Wilkins said. 

Wilkins said that the church discovered that people are seeking community, particularly after the pandemic. Even two or three years later, people seek support and love. “That's really what we're opening our doors for — to open them to the community and provide a bridge,” Wilkins said.

“Our vision is to provide goods and services by tying and connecting divine resources to human needs. That's what we're here to do.”

— Senior Pastor Rev. Jonathan Wilkins Sr. of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Centreville

When asked what he thought the students present at the event would have done without the donated supplies, Wilkins said, “We shudder to think what they would have done.” He added that some people were still trying to figure out how to get school supplies. The church had an enormous number of people looking for support from somewhere.

“The economy is what it is. We are situated in one of the most competitive housing markets, correct? Therefore, our vision is to provide goods and services by tying and connecting divine resources to human needs," Wilkins said. “That's what we're here to do.” 

Funding for the supplies and the event came from donations by local businesses, organizations and church members.

According to Capital One Shopping Research, updated July 14, 2024, “For one child, back-to-school supplies cost $597 (K–12 average),” with a projected 2024 Back-to-School Household Spending, K–12 Average Household Spend of $918.

The lead point person, Angela Caesar, recalled that Pastor Wilkins came to a committee on May 28 and said he had a vision and prayed about it. The goal was to connect with the community, and Wilkens announced that the school supply event would take place on Saturday, Aug. 10.

"And that's when we started this, on May 28, to get to this day right here," Cesar said. "We had weekly meetings, 16 subcommittees, and one core committee.”

What was her biggest hurdle? Caesar said she didn't have one, as the pastor had a clear vision. "Therefore, I knew the expectations,” Caesar said. "The church came together as a team. We had 125 volunteers on the planning committee and over 180 for the logistics.”

“Mount Olive Baptist Church showed up. I didn't have a hurdle,” Caesar said.