Take Away The Stigma of Homelessness Away Through A Washer!
My students need a washer to quickly wash their soiled clothes when they are at school so they will be clean and tidy and their confidence will improve so they can perform better.
Our school is a Title I school which means that 73% of our student population receives free and reduced lunches. Most of our students are from diverse working families and some of them just immigrated into this country. There are an increasing number of students who are in transient/homeless situation at our school. And often times they need help with their hygiene because their classmates complain about their smell. I observed my homeless students feeling conscious and often embarrassed to participate in class and playing with their peers. It is our school and my goal to try to provide as much as we can to ensure of their continuous schooling experiences in a supportive and nurturing manner. And a simple washer can help solve the problem! Even though my students may not have stable home lives right now but they are full of enthusiasm and trying to beat every obstacle in their way to continue their education. Shouldn't we give them our strong hands and help them out any way we can?
My Project
A washer doesn't just wash away dirt, but it brings new rays of hope and ease some of the emotional trauma that homelessness experience brings.
Cleanliness is a basic human right!
It's common knowledge that how a person feels will directly affect how much effort they put into whatever they are doing.
However, the reality is that some families do not have direct access to appliances like a washer and dryer. Also, when students arrive to school with dirty clothing that smells, it directly affects not only their mental health, but their physical health as well. Wearing dirty clothing can cause illness, which will affect student attendance.
Successfully acquiring a washer will improve my students' school lives even though their home lives is currently unstable. We are a Title I school with (a significant) homeless and transient student population. The washer will be used to wash students' soiled school clothes because being homeless means they don't have the access to keep their clothes clean regularly. Often times, they come into school with dirty and smelly clothes and their peers and others have difficulty interacting with them due to the strong odor they emit. If we have the washer, then that means their parents and themselves can come to use the washer a few times a week and they can wear clean clothes and be with their peers and not worry about their appearances.
Building an inclusive and nurturing environment so every student has equal footing to be successful at our school. By having a washer at our school will increase our students' academic performance, fulfill some social-emotional needs and their confidence towards lives.
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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 Ms. Chen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
