Columbia Residential Helps Students Start the Year Strong Across Atlanta and Athens

More than 600 residents across 21+ Columbia Residential communities in Atlanta and Athens received free backpacks and school supplies to start the school year strong.

Since 2014, Columbia Residential has helped families offset the rising cost of school supplies by hosting back-to-school celebrations across our communities. This year’s annual back-to-school celebration brought Columbia Residential staff, Atlanta and Athens residents, families, and community partners together to help students prepare for a great year ahead.

Atlanta Back-to-School Road Trip

The Back-to-School Road Trip stopped at four locations across Atlanta, serving 500 children across 21 Columbia Residential communities.

On July 8, families from Columbia Commons and Sylvan Hills gathered at Columbia at Sylvan Hills, while residents from the West Highlands cluster, including Columbia Estates, Columbia Grove, Columbia Crest, and Columbia Park Citi, came together at Heman E. Perry Park.

The Road Trip continued on July 15 with a celebration at Amani Place, serving residents from South River Garden, Columbia Citi Homes, Park Citi Place, Retreat at Edgewood, Amani Place, Columbia Village, and Columbia Mill.

That same day, another event was held in the green space between Mechanicsville Senior and Parkside at Mechanicsville, welcoming families from Peoplestown, City Views at Rosa Burney, Capitol View, Mechanicsville Family, Mechanicsville Crossing, Mechanicsville Station, Parkside at Mechanicsville, and Mechanicsville Cityside.

At each stop, families enjoyed free backpacks while supplies lasted, school supplies, games and activities, live music, community resources, and the chance to connect with staff and community partners. The events created a fun, welcoming atmosphere while helping students start the school year prepared, encouraged, and excited to learn.

Community partners who helped make the Atlanta events possible included Smart from the Start, Zoo Atlanta, Paint Love, Propel Atlanta, Toomer Elementary School, Mechanicsville Public Library, Xfinity, Fulton County Voter Education Outreach, Atlanta Police Department, DJ Life, and DJ Off the Wall.

A special thank you goes to the Horizon Housing Foundation, Columbia Residential staff, property management teams, Resident Services staff, vendors, and community partners who helped make each stop possible. Most importantly, thank you to all the residents and families who participated and helped make the 2026 Back-to-School Road Trip a success.

Athens Back-to-School Jam

On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Columbia Residential hosted a successful Back-to-School Jam at The View at NoDa, serving more than 100 residents and helping families prepare for the upcoming school year. Residents enjoyed an afternoon filled with food, games, music, free school supplies, and community resources—all while spending quality time together and connecting with local organizations.

Community partners at the Athens event included MedLink, Bike Athens, Athens Library, Lay Park, and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, all of whom provided valuable information and support to families.

Special thanks to our generous sponsors—Barrow, First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Athens First UMC, Dash & Dwell, and 5 Points Church—for helping make the event possible. The 2026 Back-to-School Jam was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen community connections, support our residents, and help students start the school year prepared for success.

Two cities, four locations, 21 communities, and one shared mission: supporting our families and helping our students begin the school year ready to succeed.

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Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s back-to-school events a success!