Thanks to our generous supporters, CWS Kids Kits are helping more than 2,800 students in Gatesville, Texas access essential school supplies, easing the burden on families and ensuring every child is ready to learn.
Equipping Students with Tools to Thrive
Above: CWS staff and volunteers assemble Kits
In the small town of Gatesville, Texas, more than 2,800 students are receiving support through CWS Kids Kits—proving that when neighbors come together, big change can happen.
Each year, Michelle Martin, Gatesville Independent School District (ISD)’s School-Community Events Coordinator and Attendance and Truancy Specialist, partners with local organizations to help fill the gaps many families in her community face throughout the school year.
CWS Kids Kits provide students with essential school supplies—from pencils and crayons to scissors and notebooks—allowing them to focus on learning without families worrying about how they will afford the items their children need.
“We’ve been very intentional in looking at the family as a whole,” Michelle shared. “The last couple of years, we’ve tried to take away the school supply list that parents are asked to bring. This support comes in through these Kids Kits.”
Now, children in Gatesville from pre-kindergarten through high school will receive the school supplies they need.
“With the support we’re receiving from CWS, parents will be asked [to provide] little to nothing. All they’ll have to do is send their child to school.”
Supporting Families with Dignity and Love
For a rural town like Gatesville, that support can make a world of difference. Many migrant farmworkers live and work in the area temporarily—often moving after only a few months, without the means to consistently purchase school supplies. CWS Kids Kits ensure that all children, regardless of circumstance, can access the resources they need to thrive.
“Gatesville at its heart is a caring community. We don’t have a lot of resources, but people want to help,” Michelle said. “I have a personal motto: bloom where you are planted, and you can make a difference in your garden. Gatesville is my garden, and I’m doing what I can to make it grow.”
Thanks to Michelle, the Gatesville ISD team and our generous Kids Kits supporters, students across the district are facing brighter futures and accessing the tools they need to bloom.
“I am so thankful for you all and your help because this is going to touch so many lives that you’ll never know about. You all have given us a gift, and we’re going to give it to someone else. They may not know you, but they know it’s given with love.”
Learn more about how you can get involved in providing CWS Kids Kits here.