Detroit — For Felicia Hatchett, a trip to Detroit's Heilmann Recreation Center on Friday made getting ready for the new school year a lot easier, with far fewer trips to the store.

Hatchett brought her two grandchildren and three foster children to the center at noon Friday for MiSide Community Impact Network's Back to School Bash. She picked up backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens and erasers for the upcoming school year. All five of them are enrolled in Detroit Public Schools.

“They were excited about it because they like to go places to get things and, you know, get a chance to be around other kids. I’m disabled, so we’re around the house most of the time," said Hatchett.

Hatchett's children got five of the 1,300 backpacks given out Friday at MiSide's annual Back To School Bash at th

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