The 2014 Fall semester is back and in full swing again! The kids are back from visiting relatives, going to their summer camps, and also out of the Holmes Stamp & Sign break room (at least until our annual school field trip happens in a few weeks)! A few weeks ago, all of us parents put in a little more time before leaving for work in the morning just to make sure the lunches are packed, and no folder, backpack or anything else was forgotten before the kids headed off on their first day of school. And we know that we weren’t alone.
It may be hard to imagine, but coming in at 885 sq miles Jacksonville is the largest city in America (by size). How else could we have so many awesome events going on all the time as we do? With our population coming in at over 830,000 people is it really any wonder that within our county of Duval, there are 285 schools, that’s not even counting the amount of colleges and universities for the business men and woman of the future. Yes, every year Jacksonville consistently churns out some inspiring graduates with awesome potential to find work. In fact, recent numbers show that despite a country that is having difficulty recovering from financial crisis and so many losing their jobs, Jacksonville has a remarkably low unemployment rate, which has lead to many recent grads feeling optimistic.
While some of us here at Holmes Stamp & Sign have older kids in college or graduated, many of us have kids still in grade school and what a handful they can be – not to mention expensive! That’s why we’re all so happy to get to live in a city that helps take care of its own. Every year for the past seven years, Duval County Public Schools partner up with other groups to put together their annual Back To School Fest at the Fairgrounds. This year there was everything from doctors’ visits to haircuts and everything in between. After seven years, this Back To School Fest is truly becoming the can’t miss back to school event of the season. On top of having entertainment and a back to school fashion show lined up for the kids, they were even offering free backpacks and other school supplies. As any other parent can tell you, not all school supplies come cheap!
When it comes to families, Jacksonville does its best to support and take care of each other the very best we can. Being a family based company, we look forward to the annual field trip we host every year and can hardly believe that it’s right around the corner again! We love getting the opportunity to brighten the kids days by showing them around the plant and letting them make their own custom button, name tags and more! We can’t just send them away without giving them something! And on top of lightening our room with their giggles and smiling faces, our conference room usually gets some really awesome artwork for our massive dry erase wall! Who could say no to that?
Want to hear how it goes? Check back with us soon for all the pictures and stories that we will undoubtedly have to share!