South Suburban Community Group Donates School Supplies to Matteson School District 162

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. — August 2026 — Shopping carts filled with backpacks, notebooks, pencils and other school supplies made their way through a south suburban Walmart on July 31 as Matteson School District 162 administrators shopped for students and families preparing for the new school year.

The annual shopping trip was made possible by a $1,500 donation from the Making Disciples Boys Mentoring Program, which is marking its seventh year of partnering with Matteson School District 162 to provide school supplies for students and families who need assistance.

Making Disciples founder Eric Bassette also extended the organization’s generosity beyond the District 162 shopping trip when he surprised a family he encountered in the store with an unexpected back-to-school shopping spree.

Derrick Wolf was shopping with his 8-year-old twin daughters, Evelyn and Aliyah, who are entering third grade, when Bassette offered to pay for their back-to-school purchases.

“It’s a blessing. It’s great,” Wolf said. “It’s the first time I’ve experienced anything like this. It helps out a lot. I just spent $300 on school clothes. School supplies would have been on top of that.”

Bassette traveled from Atlanta for this year’s shopping trip, returning to continue a tradition that remains important to him and his wife, Annette. Bassette retired last July after 30 years and moved to Atlanta to be closer to family, including his 2-year-old twin granddaughters.

“My wife and I still believe that our children deserve the best that we can give them,” Bassette said. “Making Disciples still has resources to give back.”

For seven years, Making Disciples has partnered with District 162 to help students start the school year with the supplies they need. The annual donation also helps ease some of the financial burden on families facing the expense of preparing children for a new school year.

“Buying school supplies can be an added stress on families who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Rebecca Dixon, Matteson School District 162 assistant director of special education, who shopped with Jaime Goodley, the district’s director of special education, for everything from backpacks and notebooks to earbuds and glue sticks. “This donation from Making Disciples makes it possible for all of our students to be ready to learn on the first day of the school year.”

Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, superintendent of Matteson School District 162, said the continued partnership helps ensure that students begin the school year prepared for success.

“Excellence is the expectation for our students, and we know that to achieve that excellence, our students must be equipped with every tool necessary to learn,” Davis said. “We are grateful that Eric and Annette Bassette continue to make Matteson School District 162 and our families part of their commitment to giving back. Their generosity helps remove one more barrier for families and allows our students to walk into their classrooms ready to learn.”

Making Disciples was founded in 2015 by Eric Bassette and his wife, Annette. In years past, the couple hosted a Back to School event in August where they distributed school supplies. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in 2020, the Bassettes decided to donate money directly to local school districts to purchase the supplies students needed.

That commitment has continued even after Bassette’s retirement and move to Atlanta.

“This is the best time of the year for us,” Bassette said. “We have a chance to give back to our children and make it easier and better for them and their parents. Hopefully, this will help some families and children and make the learning process easier.”

Bassette said he remains impressed by the work being done in Matteson School District 162 and is pleased that Making Disciples can continue to support its students.

“District 162 is doing a marvelous job with our children, and I’m just happy to be a part of that,” Bassette said.

For Wolf, the unexpected generosity meant one less back-to-school expense as he prepared Evelyn and Aliyah for third grade.

“It helps out a lot,” he said. “It’s a blessing.”