Carrollton church’s Backpack Ministry fills and delivers 700 backpacks locally and around the world

In 2014, Mary Jaramillo met the late Willie and Angie Rosales, former members of Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida, when they came to Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana of Carrollton for help with their ministry, called “The Backpack Ministry,” where they collected, packed and distributed a gallon Ziploc bag of school supplies to families in South Texas.  

Jaramillo and her husband, along with two other people from the church, volunteered to make trips to South Texas with the Rosales for a couple of years. On one of the trips, Angie Rosales noticed Jaramillo's potential to lead the ministry. 

“Angie said, ‘I'm going to teach you what I do because you're going to end up doing it again sometime.’ I was like, ‘I don't know about that, Angie. This is a lot of work,’ and she said, ‘No, you can do it. I know you can.’ And after prayer, God spoke, and we continued [the ministry],” Jaramillo said. 

When Willie and Angie Rosales both passed away, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana of Carrollton supported Jaramillo and her husband as they adopted the ministry in 2016.

“I know that the Lord has blessed the church and has blessed me with talents. And I know that we're supposed to use those talents for his glory,” Jaramillo said. “He has guided me to the right direction and to the right people to talk to, so throughout the years… the Lord kept blessing the ministry and blessing the church. We have now started giving more school supplies and adding backpacks.”

Carrollton community members, companies give supplies generously

As the Backpack Ministry coordinator, Jaramillo seeks out donors and volunteers, purchases the school supplies and coordinates packing days and distribution trips. 

"It's a lot of work, but we don't count it as work. It's a blessing to us because [God] has done so much in our lives that the work doesn't even feel like work,” Jaramillo said. 

Jaramillo said La Tapatia Meat Market and Walmart in Carrollton have been main sponsors of the Backpack Ministry by donating funds, backpacks, school supplies and food for volunteers. She said she applied for and recently received a $2,000 grant from Walmart to pack backpacks this year, and community members have also been generous to donate to the ministry. 

Every August, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana of Carrollton hosts an event for families to receive backpacks, each packed with “The Story of Jesus” booklets in English and Spanish, to create an opportunity for them to hear the gospel. 

“We announce what opportunities the church has for everyone. We announce the food pantry that we also have and [invite them to join us for] our Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas program. Then we ask the pastor to do a short devotional at the children's level, and after the devotional, we’ll sing a song,” Jaramillo said. “Because these people may not have ever stepped into a church before, we try to be as friendly as possible to let them know that Jesus loves them.”

Carrying school supplies, the gospel around the world  

Since 2021, the Backpack Ministry has had a worldwide reach. Jaramillo connected with a family who leads a girls ministry in Juárez, Mexico and took a trip to distribute 150 backpacks, clothes and shoes donated by Walmart. 

Two years ago, a couple at the church connected Jaramillo with Mark Huong, general secretary of Global Campus Mission International, inquiring about backpacks to bring with him and his wife on a mission trip to Myanmar, where they planned to visit an orphanage. 

“[Hong] had a meeting here in Carrollton, and he invited me to go and set up the backpacks and explain what we do. So now our backpacks have gone [there and] to India, to El Salvador, to Honduras, to Japan, South Korea, to Panama and the Dominican Republic, because [Hong and his team] all took a backpack to give to a child there,” Jaramillo said. “I wouldn't have ever dreamt how far a Ziploc bag with school supplies could be carried around the world.” 

On a recent trip to India, Hong asked Jaramillo to write down how Jesus saved her life and gave it to someone who received a backpack. Jaramillo said having the opportunity to share her testimony is her favorite part of serving through the Backpack Ministry. 

“I still can't fathom somebody across the world hearing about what God did for me. I mean, if it helps anyone, I praise God,” Jaramillo said. “Just seeing God’s hand at work and how he puts everything together in all the different little parts of the Backpack Ministry is amazing.” 

Jaramillo said her team has packed 700 backpacks this year and has already distributed 150, with an upcoming trip to South Texas to distribute more.

“Everything that is given to us, we share because God has blessed this church so much and our church is so willing [to serve],” Jaramillo said.

The Backpack Ministry sustained by God’s provision

Jaramillo said her faith has been strengthened by seeing God’s provision over each area of the Backpack Ministry. 

“He provides everything that we need. He has provided [so much that] our church has not had to spend any [budgeted] money on this ministry. Everything is sustained by God… moving the community to fund it where it's just a matter of the church's stewardship,” Jaramillo said. “We just continue to do the work and [trust that] it's the Holy Spirit who's going to bring the people in.” 

At Conclave NextGen 2025, Jaramillo met an Abilene pastor who was curious about how he could start a backpack ministry with his church. Jaramillo said she is amazed at how God uses the Backpack Ministry to touch people’s lives. 

“God is using this [ministry] and moving it, and as long as he keeps providing and as long as he gives us strength and energy to keep on going, then we continue,” Jaramillo said.

Looking to the future of the Backpack Ministry, Jaramillo said she is praying for provisions to be able to include a $25 gift card for the child to buy school supplies or clothes that aren’t included in the backpack they receive. 

Churches like Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana of Carrollton are able to impact families in their community and around the world because of Texas Baptists churches’ generous and faithful giving to the Cooperative Program. 

For more information about Texas Baptists Discipleship & NextGen, visit txb.org/discipleship.