Gadsden ISD reports hundreds of jackets, meals and community partnerships after Thanksgiving and Christmas drives

District family-and-community engagement staff presented a summary of outreach and partner support for Thanksgiving and Christmas events during the Jan. 8 board meeting.

Presenter Miss Villalobos and her team credited community partners—including the La Mesa Lions Club, First Life Federal Credit Union, Las Cruces Rotary, Dress-a-Child programs, local churches, and others—for donations that supplied food boxes, heaters, blankets, toys and clothing. The presentation listed logistics and partners by name and showed photos of distributions across multiple campuses.

District staff said the program distributed roughly 400 jackets to students and planned to distribute about 400 hoodies for middle- and high-school students in the coming weeks. Staff also noted a Dress-a-Child event that supported about 70 families and additional Rotary donations that supported about 250 students in prior events.

Presenters said social workers, parent ambassadors and volunteers worked overtime during breaks and coordinated distribution and selection of families identified as having highest needs. The district will send letters of recognition to partner organizations and continue to steward relationships for year-round family support.

Board members and the union president thanked staff and volunteers for the outreach and coordination work.