Anyone can help children in need through SchoolTools! Click on the links to read about how a mom with young children, the members of an adult Sunday school class, and an employee at work blessed many children with the gift of school supplies.

A Mom Teaches Her Kids the Joy of Giving
"Last August I was shopping for school supplies for my kids — Caleb, age 4, and Karsyn, age 3. Even though they only attend preschool they still had their lists of back-to-school needs. They were so excited to explore the school supply aisle, which was stocked with every imaginable gadget and essential kids might ever need. As I looked at the quantity and variety, I began to think about other kids who weren't fortunate enough to have brand-new supplies to take to school. I wondered what I could do to help.

"World Vision's SchoolTools program was a way that my family could change a child's life with the gift of school supplies. My kids were so excited to hear that just a few supplies could help a child go to school so they could learn and break out of the cycle of poverty.

"Caleb and Karsyn had so many questions about SchoolTools and the kids who would be receiving the kits. 'Will they like the crayons?' 'Will they draw the same kind of pictures we do?' 'Will they like the blue pencil sharpener we picked out for them?' 'What kind of school do they go to?' And my personal favorite: 'Can we go and visit the kids so we can play with them?'

"The more questions I answered, the more they had. SchoolTools was such a powerful, hands-on learning experience for them. Now, they just want to keep on giving and showing others the love of Christ."

"We are a Sunday school class of adults in our 40s, 50s, and 60s. Rather than just studying the Bible for head knowledge, we have always desired to put feet to our faith and seek opportunities to serve in the kingdom of God. When the opportunity to participate in World Vision's SchoolTools program presented itself, the entire class was very enthusiastic.

"As we shopped for the school supplies, we all had similar reactions thinking back to when we shopped for school supplies for our own children, most of whom are now grown. Now we were shopping for similar items, but we felt like we were making a difference in the lives of children we would never meet. We knew the children receiving these school supplies would be grateful since they would not have the resources to purchase these needed items. We were blessed with the means to provide school supplies for our children when they were in school, and now we had the privilege of providing similar blessings to children. We knew we would not be thanked personally by these children, but we were motivated by the love of Christ to provide for those less fortunate than us.

"We were truly blessed by this experience and we hope to continue to partner with World Vision in other projects."

"In mid-August I decided to jump on board with the SchoolTools program after reading about it on the SchoolTools website (click here to learn more). I figured it was great timing to ask my coworkers to participate, since all the parents were already out shopping for their kids' back-to-school supplies. How easy it would be to pick up a few extra items to send to a child in need—not to mention take advantage of the great sales at the local stores. I was able to purchase all the supplies for one kit for around $5.50, which isn't much considering what I spend on going out for lunch.

"I set up bins in the entryway to our building and put up signs to let everyone in my company know that they could make a difference through the SchoolTools drive. There was such a GREAT response that even after the two-day drive people were still bringing in kits—I was receiving them all the way through the end of October! I am planning on doing another SchoolTools Drive in January, since it is the beginning of the second half of the school year.

"The SchoolTools brochure says that school supplies are the number one request from World Vision communities. I want to make sure that I am doing my part to help make a child's future brighter."

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