Back-to-School season is underway! There’s always a sense of excitement and anticipation for what the new school year will bring … both for the students and their parents. These first days of school represent a new beginning and a promise of great things to come.
Our children and teens at Star of Hope Mission were blessed with new shoes from the Trees of Hope and our Back-to-School Backpack Open House! At Open House, the parents and their school age children and teens received new back packs filled with school uniforms and school supplies. What an awesome way to help them prepare for their first day of school!
That is the kind of experience we hope to create for the children and teenagers in our care at the Star of Hope. Before coming to Star of Hope the back to school experience, for so many of them, was not filled with hope and excitement. They may not even have been attending school regularly because of the challenges they faced in their home environments … parents who were not capable of taking care of them; moving from place to place … school to school; possibly even living in their cars.
When homeless children enter the new school year with little to no school supplies and uniforms they have it the hardest. Our parents struggle to take their children back-to-school shopping, but with amazing donors like you children at Star of Hope don’t have to start school with old, worn out uniforms and shoes that no longer fit properly. Simple things like new uniforms and the right sized shoe make a difference. After our children received their new shoes one little girl said with excitement, “they’re my favorite color. I’m going to wear them to school! Thanks for buying us shoes!” Her words filled my heart with joy! I know that she will start the year off on the right foot, with confidence and a new beginning.
When these children are at the Star of Hope, many of them are experiencing stability for the first times in their lives. While their parents are recovering from the issues that made them homeless, restoring their relationship with God and learning how to care for themselves and their families, their children are being taken care of by staff members who love them and are ready to help them every step of the way.
Thanks to your support – both financial and in prayer – Star of Hope is able to provide these children with an environment that gives them an opportunity to succeed … and be excited about the first day of school.
Thank you for all that you do for the Star of Hope and the precious children we serve each day. You are a valued member of the Star of Hope family.