We welcome August each year with bittersweet anticipation as another summer comes to a close and we prepare for a new school year. A new school year means new routines, new classmates, and new activities.
For children in foster care, a new school year can also mean a return to a stressful environment with roadblocks and difficulties. Children in foster care are more likely to change schools, and less likely to have comprehensive assessments to address their educational needs.
This year, we wanted to make sure students in Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries homes had the supplies and resources they needed to start this school year with confidence. The response we got from supporters was incredible—over 70 people signed up to sponsor a child’s school supply needs.
We were so touched by the amount of time, energy, and thought that went into selecting school supplies, making sure everything was accounted for, and diligently checking off all of the supplies on each child’s list.
We are also received a shipment of new clothing from Ticket to Dream and Project Glimmer, which was an incredible donation for our families!
One sponsor, Cathy Cook, was able to go shopping for school supplies with her eight-year-old granddaughter.
“I love opportunities like this, where I can share experiences with my grandkids,” Cathy said. “This is a great way to set an example for them and show them this is something they can do in the future.”
We also enjoyed meeting our sponsors when they dropped off school supplies. It was so nice to hear about everyone’s shopping experiences and how much they enjoyed picking out folders, crayons, markers, and more.
“I love back to school time!” said Kelly Wright, another sponsor. “It was so fun gathering the supplies for the two children we sponsored. Seeing the classic items like pencils and crayons brought back fond memories of buying these items for my children.”
So many of our sponsors went above and beyond—adding little touches, making the effort to write a note, or even finding a backpack that was a child’s favorite color or featured their favorite movie character.
“It was so much fun,” Cathy said. She and her husband, Chris, own a Kona Ice truck, and she was able to incorporate penguins—Kona’s brand mascot—into some of the items she bought.
“It gave me a way to be creative and put little touches on what I bought,” Cathy said. “I did a lot of praying over the school supplies as I packed them into the backpacks. This is the easy part. I hope these kids enjoy the upcoming year, that their transition is easy, that they feel loved, and that they learn things.”
We are so grateful for everyone who committed to sponsoring school supplies, and we would also love to invite you to pray for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries families and children in Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries homes this year. One of the top five needs identified by our foster parents was prayer. We are praying that children in foster care have a peaceful transition, find safety in friends and in their classrooms, receive grace from teachers, and feel like they belong, are known, and are loved.
“While it was fun to get these back-to-school items, it also connected me to two children I can pray for this coming year,” Kelly said. “My hope for them is that they would sense they are loved and cared for, not only by my family, but even more by God.”
Transitioning into a new school year is both a challenging and exciting time for children, and we are so thankful that so many children in foster care were provided with the supplies they needed to start the school year with confidence.
“Everything in here is new!” one child said when he and his foster mother picked up school supplies. “I even have my own headphones!”
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