Volunteers Tirelessly Help Pearland, TX
For many children, the annual “back-to-school” routine is filled with excitement, as they purchase new clothes, backpacks and lunch boxes, in anticipation of the start of a new school year. But many others live in low-income households and this time of year is simply another reminder of their lot in life.
On Saturday, August 2nd, a compassionate army of more than 300 volunteers worked tirelessly to help bridge that gap by hosting the 6th annual Back-to-School Health Fair. More than 4,700 local residents braved the 101 degree summer heat to attend the community outreach, held just outside the Houston city limits.
Sponsored by Christian Temple church, and in partnership with Convoy of Hope, this very special back-to-school event offered families in need a variety of services to help prepare their kids for the upcoming school year.
Workers distributed over $150,000 worth of school uniforms, 2 outfits per child, to help families meet the requirements of the local schools. Kids also received an assortment of new school supplies, free immunizations and a free haircut. Since receiving a shot in the arm isn’t fun for any child, the local volunteer team thought they would offset some of that pain by hosting a free kids carnival and giving away 100 brand-new bicycles.
Teams of doctors and dentists provided an array of medical and dental screenings, including speech, hearing, scoliosis, oral exams, vision tests and more. Additionally, volunteers from the church were available to pray with guests as felt needs were expressed.
To top it off, families leaving the outreach site were blessed with several bags of groceries — 35,000 lbs. were distributed by day’s end.
There will always be some kids who are not excited about the start of a new school year, but in this part of south Texas, there are a few thousand more who are ready - armed with a new outfit, a haircut and the knowledge that somebody cares.
Your gifts to Convoy of Hope make these outreaches possible. Thank you for your support, and your desire to bring HOPE to the hopeless.