Our school district is a small school district in western, rural Montana. With 285 students K-12, SSD is the heart of the community. In a town of this size, the school is literally the hub for all community activities from sporting events to funerals, from craft fairs to community meetings, from emergency shelter to adult education.
We have a population of impoverished families, approximately 65% of our students live in poverty.
In fact, so many of our families meet the threshold for free meals that all of our students receive free breakfast and free lunch during every school day. Because of the high poverty rate, many of our students are at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts. In addition, due to the high poverty rate, many of our families are transient and homeless. Currently, nearly 17% of our population is homeless.
My Project
We are committed to helping the families of our community, as this support is directly related to successful student learning. In a district of 285 students K-12, we provide many services that support these students outside of direct classroom instruction. In fact, we just received notification from the Governor's office that Mineral County is #1 in the state for juvenile food insecurity running at 27.5%. Currently, we have 32 elementary, 8 junior high and 8 high school students (total 48), who are homeless, or a percentage of 16.8% of the population.
Many of our students' families receive public assistance such as food stamps, however, the rules of these programs do not allow for the purchase of hygiene items that meet basic human needs.
We are requesting help in the purchasing of basic necessity hygiene items to enable these families to have their needs met. In the past, we have asked local businesses, teachers, and local charities to help meet these needs. Though all have been giving, we have exhausted our resources in such a small town and are now turning to you for help.
With the purchase of these items, we will be able to help meet students' basic needs, which, in turn, will promote student learning. Products can easily be distributed by the school nurse or by placing needed items in the food bags we send home each Friday or students may choose to use the products by using the school shower facilities if they do not have the ability to shower outside of school. In receiving these items, the students will be able to support their physical health, which has a direct impact on their mental, social and emotional wellness.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Jasper and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
