A student at Panther Lake Elementary School in Kent, Wash., arranges her new school supplies in her classroom.

Some parents find it hard to purchase the clothes, shoes, and school supplies to equip their children for a new year at school. World Vision partners try to fill the gap where they can.

Supplies are donated and purchase, then volunteers assemble school kits for kids. World Vision brings the supplies to area schools from its warehouses in New York, Connecticut, Washington state, Chicago, and West Virginia. It fills its Mobile Teacher Resource Center with boxes of pencils, markers, notebooks, rulers, and other colorful Yoobi supplies.

“This is for when you go home at night and practice writing your name and your shapes,” a volunteer tells a group of second-graders in the Bridgeport, Conn., elementary school.

The children are giddy with excitement. “I almost started to cry. I was surprised,” says Guadalupe, 7, after she received a bag of brand-new supplies. “I needed some [supplies].”

Stephon, 7, said he would use his new markers to create artwork: “I like to draw tall towers.”

“I was excited,” said Mayeli, another 7-year-old. “I’ll glue something.”

It’s a similar scene in classrooms across the country. Teachers beam with joy as they watch their students unwrap useful gifts.

Photo©2015 World Vision, Chris Huber