Students experiencing homelessness
The Lancaster School District recently hosted a special event to provide donated items for foster youth, students experiencing homelessness and students from low-income or military families.
The district works with nonprofit organizations such as Baby2Baby, Shoes That Fit and Soles4Souls to help provide for its families.
“We get a lot of donations and so when we get an abundance of them we like to give them back to our families that are in great need,” said Rose Juarez, supervisor of operations for the district’s Welcome and Wellness Center.
About 100 families were served at the March 28 event at the Park View Educational Complex. Some 10% of the district’s student population is identified as homeless.
“Some of them are doubled up living in motels; some of them live couch-surfing, some of them are temporarily in their cars, so we have a variety of families that are in need,” Juarez added. “We tried to identify the families that are most in need right now and we invited them to this event.”
The families received diapers, baby food, staples such as milk, cheese, bread, peanut butter and jelly, cereal and snacks. They also received sweaters for boys and girls and backpacks filled with school supplies.
“Everybody got brand new shoes with socks because we also got Bomba socks that were donated to us,” Juarez said, adding that about 80% of the items were donated; the district purchased the remainder.
As well, the district provided referrals for any other services the families. Local nonprofit Agents of Change provided volunteers to help with the distribution of items to items. Lancaster Sheriff’s Station co-captain Paul Bartlett and several deputies helped distribute items as well.
