Met one-on-one and developed trusting relationships with 27 families in the month of May, with 15 of those families and students identified as McKinney Vento. The Family Community Resource Center provided 68 resource referrals to outside agencies.
Basic Needs Given Directly to Families and Students:
Food Assistance (non- backpack program)
15
Clothing Assistance
8
Shoes
10
Toiletries / hygiene
9
Early intervention (diapers, wipes, formula)
2
Telephone / Communication
School Supplies/Backpacks - per individual
Other – blankets, pillows, furniture
Total
55
Site Based Programs / Direct Support:
Share Backpack Program
(total number of students distributed every Friday)
42
Food Pantry TEAM High (# of visits to pantry)
186
Food Pantry High School (# of visits to pantry)
125
WIS Food Pantry Visits (logged more visits to snacks)
Primary Food Pantry
40
403
Housing Support
Due to the lack of affordable housing in our region, it is very difficult to support our homeless families in obtaining permanent housing. Earlier this year, Woodland Schools signed an MOU with Vancouver Housing Authority and was able to provide direct referrals for our Clark County families for Housing Choice Vouchers. After just three weeks with the signed MOU and only one referral made, Vancouver Housing Authority announced that they are not issuing Housing Choice Vouchers due to federal cuts in HUD and budget shortfalls.
In Cowlitz County, the waiting lists are up to 480 for low-income subsidized housing in Woodland. This month Woodland Schools signed an MOU with the Cowlitz County Homeless Housing Partner, Love Overwhelming. This will allow us to work more closely and share information on families to provide direct and continuous support.
We have two success stories with housing this month, an unaccompanied homeless youth and their child were given support through Lower Columbia CAP’s new youth housing program. In addition, a McKinney Vento family in our district that has experienced very unstable housing, with over 12 moves this school year, just received a Housing Choice Voucher and will be permanently housed.
Homeless Stability Grant
Woodland Schools submitted a very competitive homeless stability grant for $121,206. The focus of this grant was on unaccompanied youth and we asked for funds to expand basic needs, tutoring services, career development, and mentoring for this student population. We also submitted the second phase of this grant with Washington Department of Commerce Homelessness Prevention and asked for a housing navigator to be placed on Woodland Public Schools campus to help ensure equitable access to services and programming. This grant was in partnership with Love Overwhelming for $69,294.
Woodland Schools received the McKinney Vento Homeless Stability Grant in November and we were able to utilize funding to directly support over 32 McKinney Vento families with basic needs and school supports. Overall numbers for this year report about 108 Homeless Students identified. This grant required our district to track the amount of times each McKinney Vento household moved. Our McKinney Vento Students moved on average at least one time during the school year, with the maximum 12 times and the minimum 0 times. Another data indicator we tracked was the number of students that found permanent housing, we reported to OSPI 14.4% of our McKinney Vento families found housing this year.
Lunch Buddies Program
The six week pilot Lunch Buddy program came to an end on June 13 and 14. The program was very successful and all of our adult participants are coming back next year to be part of the program. This summer recruitment efforts will be intensified to try to get over 20 lunch buddies for the Intermediate School for the 2017/2018 school year. (Photo release signed by parents and adults participants.)
New Partnerships
The Outreach Coordinator met with LifePort, Inc. this month and is working on a grant application with Rey Prado their general manager. The grant is through the larger corporation Sikorsky – Lockheed Martin. The purpose for this grant is to find a sustainable afterschool programming for our at-risk middle school students. Another great partnership this month is through Woodland Public Schools, Chuck Jones Automotive and Woodland Napa. Corporate funding was secured and these businesses have agreed to help all families that are under-resourced with car repairs.
Donations
Fiber Federal Credit Union $1000
In-Kind Clothing Donations $100
In-Kind Food Donations $600
Back to School Bash
With the support of most area churches, Woodland Action, Housing Opportunities of SW Washington, Kalama Schools, we are gearing up for a Back to School Event on August 12, 2017, from 3:00p – 6:00p. We are offering FREE Backpacks and school supplies, FREE haircuts, and FREE Sports Physicals with dinner, games, and giveaways. The Sports physicals have been very difficult to coordinate, but we are hopeful we can get a few providers there. All this is made possible through generous donations from churches and businesses. Our event budget was $15,000.
Open for the Summer
The Family Community Resource Center will be open 8:00a – 4:00p, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday throughout the summer to provide services to our families.