The Capable Kids Foundation held a school supplies and therapeutic items drive on Saturday morning at the Mission Event Center.
The nonprofit organization prepared packages with various items to help students with special needs as they prepare for the school year with remote learning.
While remote learning provides a safe learning environment for students amid the pandemic, it can be challenging for special needs students and families.
“It can be incredibly difficult,” Melanie Watson of Capable Kids said. “A lot of our kids need direct, one-on-one assistance to help them to focus. Also a lot of our kids, they’re so used to the school environment and at home it’s totally different. Most of our kids need to have more engagement; they need visual support and sensory support, things that are difficult to model at home.”
Saturday’s event was spaced out over four hours with non-contact distribution. As cars drove by, the items were placed in the trunks of their vehicles. The group was able to distribute about 125 packages to each family.
“It was really awesome to see some of our families again,” Watson said. “The last event we were able to have was Prom in March. We haven’t seen some of these families face-to-face for several months.”
The items in each package were catered to each child’s specific needs. They included items for children with weak hands, handwriting sets, behavioral sets and visual charts among many other items.
The selected items were then placed in backpacks before being distributed to their specific family.
One particular item included in each package was a book, titled “Social Stories.”
“It’s like a storybook that explains why things are different, what school from home is and why they’re learning from home right now,” Watson said.
The group also distributed produce boxes from Bebo Produce for all the families.
“We included basic school supplies, and then the add ons and therapeutic items,” Watson said. “The parents were able to choose what was most appropriate for their child and what their biggest needs are.”
More information about Capable Kids Foundation can be found at their Facebook page or their website ckrgv.org.
