Today, each of the students of Jackson Middle School in Houston arrived on their second morning of school with a full load of school supplies thanks to volunteers from Houston District Council 88 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). On Monday, August 24, IUPAT volunteers delivered school supplies for over 600 students in the middle school, just in time for the official first day of classes. The gifts were made through the Painters and Allied Trades for Children’s Hope Foundation (PATCH).
IUPAT volunteers assembled hundreds of book bags filled with pencils, paper, notebooks and the many other materials students require for a successful school year.
PATCH was founded by the IUPAT nearly 15 years ago to support programs and organizations that provide children with education, medical care and a healthier life through youth sports. The foundation is supported through local fundraising efforts by IUPAT members throughout the United States. It has made well over $1 million in gifts since it was founded.
“The members of IUPAT District Council 88 are so excited to have this this opportunity to help the students and teachers of Jackson Middle School,” said District Council 88 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer David Wenninger. “We at the PATCH Foundation and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades are always looking for ways to be active in the communities we call home, and this is a particularly special one. The kids at Jackson Middle School are the next generation of leaders and forward thinkers, and we are proud to be a small part of their success.
“Our thanks to the teachers and staff of Jackson Middle School, and the rest of our nation’s educators, for the outstanding service they provide our youth. I also want to thank the IUPAT volunteers and our community partners who made this great day at the school possible.”
PATCH recently made a similar donation to elementary schools in Atlanta, Georgia and Phoenix, Arizona this month as well.