(Seguin) — Students at four Seguin ISD elementary schools are starting the new year with extra tools for success thanks to the TEXAS YES Project.
Nearly 1,600 students at Jefferson Avenue Elementary, McQueeney Elementary, Patlan Elementary, and Rodriguez Elementary recently received a “Box of Dreams,” — a kit filled with “supplemental school supplies.”
Cari Richardson, one of the founders of the TEXAS YES Project and a current board member, was on hand for Friday’s distribution. Richardson shared how the program first got started.
“Twenty-nine years ago, my parents and I sat in a boardroom and wanted to give back to the community. We had been business leaders in this community. We had a fast food company and wanted to give back so really my parents wanted to give back through education and created this project to give school supplies and that first year, we gave, 2,500 students free school supplies and thought that we would hit the need in the San Antonio area pretty quickly and 29 years, we still haven’t been able to serve everyone who are in need. So, we continue to grow and seek out our friends and we get donations and growth this project every year. It’s now across the state. We serve, I think, it’s 180,000 students across the state of Texas,” said Richardson.
Richardson says the organization’s mission not only just benefits students, but also their teachers.
“Most of our schools have 90 percent or greater enrollment free and reduced lunch program students. So, we want to help those who maybe that households can’t afford school supplies – struggle to afford school supplies – and we also have discovered that a lot of times in these districts, teachers are going out and buying school supplies for their students because their students show up to school without them. So, we wanted to help the families and the students but also teachers,” said Richardson.
Patlan Elementary Principal Annaliza Rangel says she is especially grateful for the impact the donation makes on her campus.
“It makes me extremely appreciative because some of our students don’t come with supplies so that gives us some additional supplies so that everybody has what they need to learn and even if they brought supplies, it’s just additional materials for teachers to use in their classroom,” said Rangel.
Each kit distributed on Friday included colored pencils, crayons, notebook paper, a spiral notebook and eraser, glue stick, folders, a ruler, pencils, black and red ballpoint pens, and a box of tissues. Several Seguin ISD trustees and district leaders were on hand at each campus to help deliver the supplies to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
According to Reichardson, The TEXAS YES Project has distributed more than 732,000 supply kits statewide since its founding in 1998. More importantly, she says once a campus is selected, the program returns each year to ensure students continue to benefit.
Those wishing to support the effort can donate online at texasyesproject.org.