Temple organization collects school supplies for child abuse victims

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) - In Brittney Eiklor’s line of work seeing abused children day to day can be a challenge.

“To have what they need is super important,” she said. “If that’s school supplies to not be a burden on them then we do what we have to do.”

Through the month of August she and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Central Texas are collecting school supplies for abused children.

“The families that come in complete a needs assessment for any of the resources that they need and some of that is school supplies,” said Eiklor, who serves as the outreach coordinator with the center.

Anyone interested in donating can either go to the store or buy off the center’s Amazon wishlist. Supplies bought from the store can be dropped off at the center during regular business hours.

“As soon as we get the supplies we try to connect them with the families that are in need,” Eiklor said. “Any extra school supplies we use throughout the year.”

The drives comes at a time when gong back to school can be tough emotionally for child abuse victims, according to Kristy Donaldson.

“It can be a little bit unnerving for the child to step foot into the new school year, new people and a minimal amount of understood social skills,” said Donaldson who works as a counselor with Premier Neurofeedback and Counseling Services.

Going back to school means abused children may not know which adult they can trust.

“When you go back to school here all of a sudden we have all of these adults in an authoritative position,” Donaldson said. “Maybe they have worked with a child who has been traumatized and maybe they haven’t.”

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