With the generous support of many donors and volunteers, DePelchin helped more than 1,450 children in our programs start the school year with new backpacks stuffed with supplies that will help them succeed in the months ahead.

DePelchin’s School Supply Drive is an annual event that allows us to provide essential support to children and families involved with foster care and other DePelchin programs. The supplies and new backpacks are generously provided by DePelchin donors. A very big thank you to all of our supporters who made a donation, hosted a donation drive, collected supplies, volunteered to stuff backpacks, and pitched in to help DePelchin families start the school year on the right foot.

We especially want to thank four of our partners in the business community for going above and beyond to help our kids go back to school well prepared: Tokio Marine, Houston Methodist, Bank of America, and Highland Homes.

We know that this is a critical time of year in children’s lives and regardless of whether you were able to take part in the School Supply Drive, there are still ways to help. Right now, the Sue Nan and Rod Cutsinger Foundation and the Ray C. Fish Foundation are matching every donation to DePelchin, up to $50,000. That means every $1 will go farther to provide even more vital resources and support for local children. You can donate here to our Back-to-School Match.

Schools are important partners in our work at DePelchin, and we know that the services we both provide to parents and families can help the youth in our community succeed. We also partner with many schools in the Houston area to provide school-based counseling, which helps schools meet the mental health needs of their students.

Thank you again to all who supported this year’s School Supply Drive and helped children in the Houston, Austin, Lubbock, and San Antonio areas to start the new school year with excitement and confidence.