This year’s Jaff Jam handed out more than 200 backpacks with school supplies, thousands of diapers and wipes and about 30 free haircuts for community members.
Jaff Jam, in its 14th year, is a partnership between the Christian Harvest Fellowship Church on Main Street in Jaffrey and local businesses. The event combines a family festival with outreach to families in need getting their children ready for school.
Rob Kectic, senior pastor at Christian Harvest, said the annual festival provides games, face-painting, live music and free ice cream, but grew out of a desire to provide for the community. His wife Stephanie said the idea was originally a way to “support families in the community, where they didn’t have to come to our building for assistance.”
“We wanted to go offsite, have this big party, where you don’t have to fill out forms to show you have a need – just come and have a day of family fun,” Stephanie said.
This year, Rob said, that need is more prevalent than ever. With rising costs, even families who didn’t have need before might be struggling.
“These are tight times, even the people who are doing all right, if you have four kids, buying backpacks might be $30 apiece at Walmart. And hey, I can’t pay your mortgage, but if I can put $100 back in their pocket, that could help,” Rob said. “It’s all no strings attached, that’s been our thing the whole time.”
During COVID-19, the event was scaled back to just backpack distribution in 2020, and a smaller event in 2021, but was back in full this year, including carnival games and 21 gallons of ice cream donated by Charlie’s Olde Tyme Creamery.
Sponsors of the event included Charlie’s Olde Tyme Creamery, Atlas, Belletetes, Grow With Me Consignment, Perry Family Dental Care, Gauthier’s Auto, Wideners Automotive, Apollo Steel, Real Power, Tieger Realty, Jaffrey-Rindge Veterinary Hospital, Hannaford, Harvest Christian Fellowship, Jaffrey Police Department and Jaffrey Fire Department.
Free haircuts were provided by Brianna Miner from Kate’s Cuts in Peterborough and Jenni Demont from New Ipswich.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Tw itter @AshleySaariMLT.