School Supplies are Needed

It’s hard to believe that we are coming to you asking for your support of the Catholic Community Services Family Housing Network School Supply Drive already. It seems that summer just arrived, and yet June has ended and the celebrations of the 4th of July are behind us.

90 Children Need Supplies

When case managers were asked to total up the school age children they are serving in their programs, the grand total was 90! Ninety students in in ECEAP/Pre-School and kindergarten through high school need help getting the school supplies needed to start a new school year prepared to learn.

These 90 children come from about 50 families in that in-between place of homelessness. These families have been referred to a Family Housing Network program and are in the process of completing paperwork, gathering documentation, and/or waiting for approval from landlords.

Help A Child Fill a Backpack

If you have a school-age child, you know how expensive it is to get them ready for school. Not considering clothes and shoes, it costs between $60 to $100 to get the supplies a child needs, depending on their grade. For a very low-income family, this is impossible. Each year, Family Housing Network has a school supply drive to ease the burden. They turn to host sites like Saint Patrick Catholic Church & School to help collect the needed supplies and then bring the families and students in and let them choose one of 90 already donated backpacks and fill it with the supplies required for their school and grade. It’s an exciting opportunity for them!

We are asking you to prayerfully consider supporting the Family Housing Network School Supply Drive. Donations can be dropped off in the Gathering Space of Saint Patrick Catholic Church before or after Mass or in the Parish Center during business hours— Monday through Friday, 8 – 3 PM. We would like to collect all the supplies by August 10, so that donations can be sorted for distribution. Monentary donations are also welcome— make checks payable to Family Housing Network.

If you are able to participate in the School Supply Drive – thank you. If you are not, thank you for your consideration! Your prayers are welcome too. Family Housing Network could not do without the support of our faith communities and other communities like ours!