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Filed Under:Brandis Friedman, Hatch Day, Jennifer Hudson, school supplies
Jennifer Hudson (Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

CHICAGO (CBS) — Oscar and Grammy-winning Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson was in her hometown today to give away school supplies to thousands of school kids.

To gather school supplies for 5,000 children, Julia Hudson spends a lot of time searching for all sort of supplies.

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“7,000 folders, paper, 5,000 packages of pencils, pens,” she listed. “Calculators, USB drives!” chimed in her famous sister Jennifer.

The pair started Hatch day in honor of their slain family members: their mother and Julia’s son Julian.


They describe him as a kid eager to attend school and learn.

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“He was so into education which is why we chose to give back in this way, because he called himself Dr. King,” Jennifer explained.

Jennifer says donating the school supplies to other families was their way of coping with Julian and their mother’s birthdays.

“After they passed…we didn’t want to see the birthdays come,” she says. “This was the solution and now we count down the days.”

The pair gives away toys to children for Christmas — which means Julia has to start shopping again in September.

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Meanwhile, she hopes to reach even more children for Hatch Day next year: 10,000.