Back to School Drive gives kids the tools they need to succeed
Julianna was exhausted after a long journey from South America. She had endured poverty and persecution for years before making the difficult decision to leave. She was a single mother of two young boys. She did not speak English, have a job, or a place to live, but she wanted to start over in Texas. She needed a place to reset her entire existence and found it at The Rathgeber Center for Families.
After months of hard work and guidance from her case manager, Julianna’s plan for self-sufficiency was coming together. She secured a part-time job and enrolled her kids in school. And while her income covered some of the family’s necessities, it couldn’t account for everything.
Her boys, Arturo and Martin, had a long supply list from their school: three-ring binders, pencils, pens, highlighters, dry-erase markers, backpacks, index cards, and more. According to the annual National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, families with elementary, middle, and high school children spend an average of $348 per household out of their own pockets to purchase supplies for the upcoming school year. She didn’t have enough money to buy everything on the list.
Julianna knew about the annual Back to School Drive for children living in The Salvation Army’s two family emergency shelters. Using those resources, she was able to equip both sons with the necessary supplies to begin the school year.
You can help parents like Julianna by donating to The Salvation Army’s Back to School Drive. Find out more.