08/27/2026
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
