You know that feeling when a new school year is about to start — a clean backpack, a new pair of Nike's your mom picked out, and neatly labeled binders ready for that first day
For many children in our village in the Philippines, that moment never comes.
Our coconut processing plant is located way way out in a rural area, and many children from K - 6 begin the year without the basic school supplies they need. Some don't even have a pair of shoes or the required school uniform.
But this year, we decided to change that by handing out school supplies kits to 400 children in our village!
Thanks to your purchases, we were able to spend part of our profits providing every child who needed help with a complete set of school supplies. Volunteers came together for a “packing night,” joyfully assembling hundreds of packets with pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, a composition notebook, writing pad, colored paper, an eraser, and other supplies. These may be small items, but they add up to a big chance at learning.
Our amazing volunteers gave their time, and a lot of energy, to make sure each child had a package ready for day one.
The Power of Community
Our team worked closely with local teachers to identify which students truly could not afford supplies. In fact, one of our favorite stories from this project came from the classrooms themselves.
To avoid jealousy between students, teachers invited each class to vote on which classmates should receive the supply packages. In nearly every case, the children’s lists matched the teachers’ exactly. These students already knew who needed help and instead of shame, these students received the gift as something their peers chose for them.
Students holding the supplies they need for a strong start to the school year!
More Than a Handout
These distribution days were full of gratitude. Multiple parents said while government officials make many promises, they’ve come to count on one thing: “Dignity delivers, over and over."
One of our distribution days happened on the same day as Dignity’s annual company anniversary celebration and we chauffeured the students to the Dignity Made plant to do the distribution. Several of Dignity Made's staff noted how much more fun they had participating in this service day giving away supplies than having their celebration. This was a big culture win for our staff because it showed that our values are truly being taken to heart and lived out!
Students had so much fun being "chauffeured" the Filipino way from their school to our campus.
Your Purchase Made This Possible
We’re already dreaming about a second distribution mid-year, so supplies last through the end of the school year. But for now, we just want to say: thank you for putting hope, opportunity, and dignity into the hands of these kids.
When you buy from Dignity Made, you’re not just getting a product you love, you’re helping rewrite the story for entire villages.
Here's to a great school year!
Stephen Freed, Dignity Made Co-Founder
