Back to School | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center

On Saturday, August 8, 2026, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual MLK Back to School Festival, an event for students and families to receive free backpacks, school supplies, and other essential items for the new school year.

Over 30 community partners participated in the drive-through festival, distributing supplies to over 1,000 students and their families.

Community Partners included Ben Abbott & Associates, Peter & Dena Silberman, Enterprise Holdings, Reliant, In the City For Good, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, LIRA, HELP, CBRE, MLK, Jr. Recreation Center, Dallas Public Library (MLK, Jr. Branch), MILES of Freedom, Empowering the Masses, Qu’Dee, IDK Foundation, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter), Dairy Farmers of America, City of Dallas Office of Housing & Community Empowerment, City of Dallas-Defend Your Drains, City of Dallas – BEST, City of Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), City of Dallas Environmental Education Initiative (EEI), Ninguno, Texas Together, Bless the Lord Outreach Ministry, Together Leading Change, C5 Texas, Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership, Master Your Move, D1 Training, Hippy Texas, Excel Employment Services, and Double Up Food Bucks .

Breakfast and lunch were provided by Ben Abbott & Associates. Mo Goodas Italian Ice was provided by Reliant.

Special thanks to our volunteers, Refulgent Star #004 and Phoenix Rising #357 for their time and dedication to serving the community!

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The MLK Back to School Drive-Thru Festival is a free event for students of all ages and their families to assist with getting essential items for the upcoming school year.

Registered attendees can drive through the MLK, Jr. Community Center’s parking lot and pick up a free backpack stuffed with school supplies and more.

Get school essentials:

Backpacks
School Supplies
School Uniforms
Socks & Underwear
And more- while supplies last!

REGISTRATION

Registration is required to attend. You can register via Eventbrite from July 6-July 30, 2020. You must be able to provide the student’s name, age, gender, school name, grade, and sizes.

Register via Eventbrite

DONATE

If you are interested in donating supplies, please deliver them to the MLK, Jr. Community Center (2922 MLK Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75215) Monday-Friday, from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, or on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Donations needed:

Socks
T-Shirts
Underwear
Uniform Shirts (White shirts only)

Sizes (Boys and Girls): XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Sizes (Men and Women): S, M, L, XL, XXL

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

We have 10 spots for community partners to register and participate. You must pre-package your items to be placed in the trunk as cars drive by. Contact us at 214-670-8418 to sign up for a spot.

VOLUNTEER

If you are interested in being a volunteer, please contact us at 214-670-8418.

For more information, visit www.dallasmlkcenter.com/back-to-school