Many years ago, when I was a classroom mom, I observed that kids in special classes were not always included in class parties. Or, when they were included, the kids with special needs might receive goodie bags that contained things that were either inappropriate or didn't work for dietary reasons.
My solution was to always send classroom party goodie bags to school for the kids in special education classrooms. Those special critters were not going to miss out - not on my watch.
I've handled this duty at my kids' elementary school for almost 15+ years. Receiving a thank you note and/or photo of a special child enjoying thier goodie bag was all I needed to keep doing this. Since starting my advocacy and coaching business, I've decided to evolve this into a community initiative so that even more kids can benefit.
Operation Smile Squad
Would you like to join the Smile Squad?
There are three ways to participate: Shop our Wish List, Nominate a School, Volunteer.
Shop the Wishlist
One way to help is by purchasing an item from a carefully curated Amazon Wish List. Items are selected based on appropriateness for children with special or sensory needs. You may also notice that they are all non-food items. Children with special needs often have dietary limitations. Each of the items in this Amazon Wish List will help several classes and all items will be distributed to schools.
Nominate a School
Use the following form to nominate a school. Anyone can nominate a school for Operation Smile Squad. All you need is the school's name, point of contact and a general idea of how many kids will get goodie bags.
Volunteer
Although it's fun to put goodie bags together, it's a lot of work! If you'd like to volunteer your time to assemble goodie bags, please use this form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When will Operation Smile Squad drop next? The last week of October 2026 to coincide with Halloween. After that, we'll shift our wish lists to holiday goodie bag items.
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How do you know how much to buy? The Amazon wish list include enough to support at least three schools to being with. As schools are nominated, the wish lists will be updated accordingly, and we'll share on social media to get support.
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Can I nominate any class? You can nominate any class that includes children with special needs (note that Operation Smile Squad provides goodie bags for special needs children, not entire general education classes). This includes pre-k to high school (generally speaking though, school parties end at after elementary school). The whole point is that kids in special education classes may have limited access to general education class parties or regular goodie bags might include inappropriate items.
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If I nominate a class, how does that work? If you nominate a class, we'll include all of the special education classes at that school. We just need one point of contact at the school to get the # of kids and any particular needs they have.
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Is your program limited to a geographic area? No, Operation Smile Squad will distribute goodie bags anywhere in the United States that a class is nominated. It's my challenge to align the kids in need with donated items. I'm up for this challenge! If you're outside of the United States, we should chat first.
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Who can nominate a class/school? Parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, siblings, students or other members of the community. Anyone can identify a school with special critters who would benefit from this program.
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Does it need to be a public school? No! We will support private schools as well as homeschool families and homeschool cohorts.
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How often do you deliver Goodie Bags for Special Critters? The baseline is to deliver goodie bags four times per school year (Halloween, Winter, Valentines Day and End of School Year) but we are happy to adapt based on the needs of nominated schools.
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Are you a religious organization? No, we are not affiliated with any particular organization. The baseline themes are simply aligned with the kinds of parties that happen at schools. Whenever those parties happen, we want to make sure that special critters are INCLUDED!
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Are you a non-profit organization? No, We Will Find A Way LLC is not a non-profit organization or 501(3)(c). That is why we do not ask for cash donations to support this special initiative. I only ask for people to purchase items, volunteer time or nominate classes. Literally, all items purchased through our wish list will be passed on in goodie bags for special critters from nominated schools. Any time to manage this program is volunteer and all shipping costs are donated.
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What if I still have questions? Please feel free to email us at amanda@wewillfindaway.com
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How will I know how many kids benefited from this program: I will share details on social media including the number of schools and number of kids benefited by Operation Smile Squad. While we can't share details about actual kids or their pictures, I'll share thank you notes or other mementos and photos of the actual goodie bags distributed. Believe me, sharing the outcome of the parties is the most rewarding part of Operation Smile Squad.