Hats, Scarves, and Gloves…oh, my!

cold weather sets wrapped and ready to go

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The calls went out within an hour of hearing the plan. Here at KIN, we love ELL (English Language Learner) teachers, and ELL teachers love their students. 

At one local high school, the ELL teachers wanted to make sure every student had a Christmas gift. For some students, it’s their first Christmas in the US…and their first Christmas in the cold.

For others, it’s their first Christmas away from their parents…or away from extended family. For still others, they’ve been through a few holidays here, but gifts are always scarce. ​

As the teachers began planning an end-of-semester party, they thought hard to find something useful and special but not too expensive for all these students. What could they give? 

​Finally, they settled on cold-weather sets: a hat, scarf, and pair of gloves for every student. The thing is, they have close to 120 ELL students at their school. These few teachers couldn’t purchase all those sets! They needed help meeting this need.​

How many ways can an ELL teacher say "welcome"?

At about the same time (because God doesn’t do coincidences), KIN leadership sat down with the ELL guidance counselor and one of the ELL teachers. When we heard of this desire, we knew we could help. That’s when the call went out to our network. We made some phone calls, sent some emails, and talked to some individuals: Could they or their churches contribute $10 hat/scarf/gloves sets for these teenagers?

Three churches rose to the occasion, and with people from four other churches adding one or two sets each, our network contributed 119 cold-weather sets! Some are “girly,” some are “boyish,” and some would suit anyone. Earlier this week, we lugged two boxes and dragged a tote through the front door of Central High School: 120 sets of hats, scarves, and gloves to bless their ELL students.

READY TO GET INVOLVED?
Since this story was published, we've developed a way for every ELL teacher in Knox County to be connected to a church or small group so their students can get the external support (including cold weather gear) they need to thrive. If you’re already part of that network, thank you! If you’re not, we would love to let you know how it works. Contact us today! ​