Bates Mission

Urgent needs don’t always come with warning, which is why consistent support matters.

Impact Partners help create stability before things reach a breaking point, making it possible for us to respond faster and more thoughtfully when challenges come up.

Monthly. Manageable. Cancel anytime.

🔗 https://batesmission.org/donate

Christmas in July wasn't just a fundraiser. It was something Whitney and her mom had talked about doing together long before Bates Mission even existed.

This month on the blog, Whitney shares what it meant to finally bring that idea to life . . . in Borger, in her mom's honor, with a room full of people who made it something neither of them could have imagined.

🔗 Read the full story: https://batesmission.org/the-party-we-always-planned/

September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day. This year's global theme is Changing the Narrative on Su***de, with a simple call to action: start the conversation. For young adults transitioning out of foster care, that conversation matters more than most people realize. In Texas, foster youth are four times more likely to attempt su***de than their peers. Behind that number are young people carrying more than their share of loss, instability, and disrupted relationships, often without anyone checking in. Starting the conversation can look small. A text message. A phone call. Simply asking how someone is really doing. If you or someone you know needs support, the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24/7.

📚 Sources: Texas Alliance of Child & Family Services

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National Food Bank Day has us thinking about how much a stocked shelf can change someone's day.

At Bates Mission, we keep hygiene and household essentials ready inside SIL facilities across Texas through Sheila's Supply Closet so when a young adult needs shampoo, bedding, or a can opener, it's already there. And when a young adult is setting up their very first space after care, we make sure that includes the pantry too. Occasionally we're able to send meal kits along with the basics because a full shelf is about more than just supplies. It's about having what you need, when you need it, without having to ask twice.

No asking twice. No going without. 💛

International Day of Charity is a day built around a simple idea: every act of generosity counts, no matter the size. That's basically our whole philosophy. A donated bottle of shampoo. A birthday cake kit. A box of bedding for someone setting up their first place. None of it is flashy, and all of it matters to the young adult on the other end. If you've ever wondered where to start, today's a good day for it.

As routines return, Spirit Nights are a great way for businesses to give back without overcommitting.

If you sell something people love or bring people together in any way, you can host a Spirit Night . . . and make a real difference for young adults across Texas.

Five years ago, Bates Mission started with a simple idea: show up for young adults aging out of foster care in Texas, consistently and practically, for as long as it takes.

We had no idea how many of you would show up with us.

We cut a ribbon and called it a nonprofit. Big ideas, a small team, and no idea how much we'd learn along the way. That's how most good things start. 💛

From our first gala to a carnival to purse bingo in Borger, we've learned that community shows up when you give them a reason to. Every event has looked a little different. The reason behind them never has.

We started with themed supply deliveries; providing laundry one month, hygiene the next. Now we have 5 stocked closets inside SIL facilities across Texas, 40+ deliveries to 13 cities, and partners who call us when they need a restock. That's approximately 5,000 units delivered every year . . . and counting.

None of it happens without our people. Spirit Night partners, donors, volunteers, and supporters who've been with us since before we knew what we were doing. Special shoutout to partners like Texas Two-Step Gaming, who've shown up more than once. That kind of consistency means everything to an organization built on consistency.

Sometimes we get to be in the room: a cooking demo, a life skills event, a conversation that happens because we showed up and stayed. And sometimes we get to help someone set up their very first apartment; every essential they need, shipped directly to them. Because that moment deserved to feel like a beginning, not a scramble.

Those moments are why we do all of it. You made them possible.

Looking ahead, we're exploring how to help the young adults we serve access college benefits they're already entitled to. Five years in? We're just getting started. 💛

5 years. 13 cities. 9 SIL partners.
5,000+ units delivered every year.
200+ young adults served.

Thank you for making this possible. Here's to everything that's next!

— The Bates Mission Team

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This one's harder to talk about. But it's too important not to.

A 2024 study found that substance use rates among young people in foster care are estimated to be as high as 49%. Nearly 1 in 2.

That number isn't a reflection of character. It's a reflection of conditions like trauma, instability, repeated loss, and years of navigating life without a consistent support system. When pain has nowhere else to go, people find ways to manage it.

Research also shows that foster youth begin using substances earlier than their peers — often by age 12 — and are less likely to disclose it or receive treatment before aging out.

The same research that documents the problem also points to what changes it: stable environments, consistent relationships, and adults who stay present during the transition out of care when young adults are most vulnerable and least supported.

That's the thread running through everything we do. 💙