Supply train runs for 12th year
By Analiz González
Buckner International

(LONGVIEW) — It was 7:45 a.m. on tax-free weekend, but Linda Gonzales and her three sons weren’t getting ready to pack into a mall. Instead, they stood outside the doors of First Baptist Church’s Recreation Outreach Building with over 50 others. 

They’d hit the stores later, they said to each other. Right now they needed to take advantage of the free back-to-school services and supplies offered by the Supply Train. 

“I came early because I knew the line would be long,” Gonzales said. “And I could use all the help I can get. The bigger they (my sons) grow, the more expensive their clothes and shoes are. The help we get from the Supply Train is a blessing. It is deeply appreciated.” 

Later that morning, the Gonzales boys left the site with backpacks purchased by First Baptist Church and supplies donated by the Junior League of Longview. 

Other services offered were vision screenings, conducted by Heaton Eye Associates, hair cuts, given by students from Kilgore College Academy and immunizations donated by the Longview Wellness Center. Eligibility to receive these services was verified by Buckner employees through proof of income. 

Other local organizations set up booths and passed out information about their programs on the first floor. 

By 9 a.m., Kilgore College students started snipping away, and by 10 a.m., the Longview Wellness Center volunteers were pulling out their needles. 

Brittany Martin, now an eighth grader at White Oak Middle School, was the first in line for a shot. 

“I just don’t want it to leave a bruise,” Martin said before putting down her new set of school supplies and sitting next to the waiting needle. “But I’m sure it won’t. These people are from the Wellness Center. They know what they’re doing.” 

She squeezed her cousin’s hand during the shot. 

“The first one wasn’t too bad,” she said. “The second one hurt a little more.” 

Someone asked the volunteers how much Martin would have paid for the shots if it hadn’t been donated. At least $150, they answered. 
“Oh my gosh,” Martin said, her mouth hanging open. “Thank you very much.” 

Martin was one of over 3,000 people who benefited from this year’s Supply Train. The Supply Train has been in running for 12 years and aims at meeting the needs of the children in the community. 

“This event is a great collaboration between the church, Buckner and the Junior League,” said Tim Watson, pastor of First Baptist Church. He smiled at the 3,500 backpacks that rose and fell like waves across the room. “The work of our organizations is like a three-legged stool. Without all three legs, the stool would fall.

“Our efforts in the Supply Train are similar to the mission of Buckner,” he continued. “We need to preach and share the gospel, but we also need to meet people’s needs emotionally and physically. Being the presence of Christ earns us the right to share. It’s hard for someone to hear God loves them if they are worried about whether their kids have what they need.”