Advocates for the ’Cats

Twenty-four years ago, a group of women joined together and created Aledo Children’s AdvoCats, a nonprofit organization devoted to meeting the needs of Aledo ISD students and families.

Services can be “anything from clothing, school supplies, and field trips to medical, dental, and household help,” said Dawn Poston, AdvoCats president.

The tools AdvoCats provides are important because, “It's not just about the educational opportunities; it's about their educational environment, so they can succeed,” Poston said. “We want [students] to feel just like the kid next to them … to have all the supplies they need to be able to be the best student that they can be, and sometimes that comes into the household area as well.”

Counselors at the schools can refer students to AdvoCats if they are enrolled Aledo ISD students, qualify for the free- and reduced-price meals program, or are in crisis.

“We try to always have eyes in as many places as we can have them,” Poston said. “We don't want a child or a family to slip through the cracks in our district.”

Last school year more than 600 students were served through AdvoCats, Poston said.

AdvoCats efforts shine through in success stories like one of a high school senior who was on their own due to a difficult home situation. “AdvoCats got together with high school counselors and a community mentor to make a plan to help this student,” Poston said. The team found the student a place to live and “supported him through financial assistance with living expenses, grocery cards, gas cards and senior year expenses.”

Toward the end of the student’s school year, a dental health challenge arose.

“But once again, the community rallied around him. A local dentist generously agreed to perform this dental work for free of charge, ensuring he could smile with confidence from that day on,” Poston said.

The student graduated and went on to attend college. 

Fundraising and support

AdvoCats is able to provide the support they provide with funds raised through memberships, community support, donations, grants, business ambassador passes, and fundraising efforts like the annual Help & Hope Luncheon (coming Oct. 23) and the Run, Walk, or Crawl nighttime glow run that was held April 18.

There are three main outreach programs through which AdvoCats provides services.

• The Aledo AdvoCats Clothes Closet is a donations-based resale shop open to the public, where proceeds return to the nonprofit, and qualified families can shop free of charge.
• The Angel Project provides students with Christmas gifts that are fulfilled through volunteers.
• The Children’s Fund, the main outreach service, is based on each student’s individual needs, varying from “medical, dental, and vision expenses, counseling, career and technical education courses, living expenses, expenses for graduating seniors, school supplies, and crisis intervention,” according to the AdvoCats webpage.

“The district is growing … and the need is growing for the families in the district,” Poston said.  This school year, she hopes, “That we serve with excellence. That our eyes are open to see any needs that are out there.

“We're just so fortunate to get to serve, and we wanna do right by that,” she said. “We wanna be good stewards of our donations, so that we can help as many kids and families as we can.”

The memberships are a great way to receive communication from AdvoCats, Poston said. Not only does the fee go directly to student support, but if there are volunteer or supply needs, members will know.

Learn more or get connected at: https://www.aledoadvocats.com/