For many families, it is officially back-to-school season. Heading back to school can be stressful, especially when there’s still a pandemic. Buckner programs across Texas hosted events to help bring some peace of mind to our families and alleviate some stress. 

The Buckner Family Hope Center at Bachman Lake had an outdoor back-to-school party for families to pick up backpacks and new shoes to start the school year off on the right foot. Breakfast tacos and festive arm-painting were big hits. Volunteers from National Charity League, CONTI/Northstar/Spectrum Group, Trinity Christian Academy and Greystar helped try on new shoes, assist with bowling and painting as well as distribution efforts.

In Houston, the Family Hope Center at Aldine hosted a few events for families to help build confidence going into the new year. A Back-to-School Bash was offered safely outdoors with the option to drive through to pick up supplies. 

They also hosted a back-to-school supplies distribution in partnership with Halliburton. They worked with community partners including Aldine ISD, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee and more to serve over 4,000 people. Halliburton helped pack over 700 backpacks for families of the Family Hope Centers at Reed Road and Aldine. 

In Midland, Buckner collaborated with local businesses to hand out 114 backpacks full of school supplies during Meet the Teacher night at Ralph Bunche Elementary School. Students were excited to receive these supplies, and their parents felt relief starting the school year with this blessing. For Buckner Family Pathways and foster care families in Midland, Crestview provided all the back-to-school necessities for 18 families at a fun event – complete with face painting, bounce houses and lunch. 

Also in West Texas, 17 children of the Family Hope Center in Lubbock received school uniforms, supplies and new shoes. Literacy Lubbock provided books and goodie bags for the kids too. The Family Hope Center was also able to provide 91 backpacks to Bean Elementary, 55 backpacks to the Worship Center and Reach program, and 200 breakfast burritos to Atkins Middle School and Bayless Elementary.

The Family Hope Center in Longview celebrated the beginning of the school year with their 28^th annual School Supply Train. Since the start of Longview’s School Supply Train in 1993, more than 67,000 backpacks have been given away. Collaborating with the Junior League of Longview and First Baptist Church Longview, 2,000 backpacks were filled with supplies and given to families alongside new shoes and uniforms. 

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