Rally For Youth: Back-to-School Festival

A Community Rally for Youth & Families

Location: MLK Civic Center, East Cleveland, Ohio

Time: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Rally For Youth is a free, family-friendly community festival hosted by The Living Wells Community & Development Center (LWCDC). This annual event brings together youth, families, local organizations, businesses, and community leaders to celebrate the start of a new school year while connecting families with valuable resources, wellness services, and positive youth opportunities.

Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment where young people can build confidence, families can access supportive services, and the community can come together to invest in the next generation.

What to Expect

Community rally and opening program
Prayer and words of encouragement
Youth talent showcase
Community resource fair
Mental health and wellness resources
Free haircuts, braiding, and retwists (based on volunteer availability)
Hygiene kit distribution (while supplies last)
Food vendors and local businesses
Games and interactive family activities
Face painting
Passport Challenge with prize drawings

Admission

FREE Community Event

Everyone is welcome to attend, which is why we need YOUR support!

Why This Event Matters

Every child deserves to begin the school year feeling confident, prepared, and cared for.

For many families, the rising cost of everyday essentials means that items like soap, deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, feminine hygiene products, skincare products, and hair care supplies can become difficult to afford. While these items may seem small, they play a significant role in a young person's confidence, self-esteem, health, and ability to fully engage in school.

When a student worries about having clean clothes, personal hygiene products, or a fresh haircut instead of focusing on learning, those challenges can become barriers to academic success, healthy relationships, and overall well-being.

Rally For Youth exists to help remove those barriers.

Through this event, The Living Wells Community & Development Center brings together community partners, volunteers, and local organizations to provide essential resources, personal care items, school supplies, wellness information, and meaningful connections that help youth and families start the school year with confidence and hope.

More than distributing supplies, we are reminding every young person that they are seen, valued, and worthy of support. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to walk into school with dignity, confidence, and the knowledge that their community is standing beside them.

Together, we can help ensure that every student begins the school year equipped not only with the essentials they need, but with the encouragement and support they deserve.

Vendor & Community Participation

We welcome businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, churches, healthcare providers, and local agencies that are committed to supporting youth and families.

Participation Fees

Merchandise Vendors: $50
Food Vendors/Food Trucks: $50
Community Organizations & Resource Partners: FREE

Vendors Must Provide

Tent
Tables
Chairs
Any additional setup equipment needed for their booth

Volunteer Opportunities

We're looking for volunteers to help make Rally For Youth a success!

Volunteer opportunities include:

Event setup and breakdown
Registration
Youth activity assistance
Vendor support
Hospitality
Information booth
Crowd assistance
General event support

Support Beyond Attendance

Can't attend the festival?

You can still make a lasting impact by supporting The Living Wells Community & Development Center. Donations help expand youth mentorship, prevention initiatives, family engagement programs, and community outreach efforts throughout the year.

Every contribution helps us create safe spaces, strengthen families, and invest in the future of our youth.

Rally For Youth

Back to School Festival

Team Members