Help With School Supplies

On the first day of third grade, the classroom was a bustle of crisp, unwrinkled notebooks, clicking multicolored pens, and backpacks that still smelled like department stores. I sat at a desk in the 1st row, my hands sweaty, flat on a completely bare particleboard surface. While others unzipped sprawling, triple-tiered pencil cases, my bag held exactly two things: a folded piece of paper from the district office and a single, yellow No. 2 pencil with a worn-down eraser I found in mom’s car.

The teacher, whose name I cannot remember, announces the first assignment: a colorful self-portrait and a written list of goals. "Break out a pen, marker, or pencil and journals, folks!"

Panic sets in. I feel the burning stare of all the kids, though no one is actually looking at me. Frozen and having nothing feels incredibly loud. When the girl next to me asks to borrow a green marker, I say, "I don't have one," my face flushed.

This year, let’s help other children feel prepared by providing school supplies for the school year. You can make a difference by donating new or gently used supplies, volunteering to help organize or distribute items, or sharing this information with friends and family to spread the word. Every small action helps a child feel ready for school.

We will be collaborating with Catholic Charities of Central Texas to collect school supplies. For more information, please visit this EVENT.