Drum roll, please! It’s time to rejoice donations acquired this summer time within the annual Seattle Instances College Provides Drive: $93,142.94.
That’s the quantity 367 beneficiant readers have contributed to assist low-income dad and mom get their youngsters outfitted and prepared for varsity, which begins up once more in simply a few weeks.
Annually since 1999, The Instances has divided the cash collected throughout the drive amongst three native organizations — YWCA Seattle-King-Snohomish, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and Hopelink — which then dole it out within the type of reward playing cards and backpacks filled with notebooks, paper, pencils and different provides to help studying.
The purpose is to verify all youngsters begin the 12 months able to go. Many of those youngsters are at school districts that may be a shock. For instance, 7-year-old Reya, who attends college in Issaquah. She lives together with her dad at Passage Level, a complex of apartments run by the YWCA for fogeys reuniting with their youngsters after incarceration.
Although Issaquah is without doubt one of the state’s wealthiest college districts, about 16% of its college students — greater than 3,000 youngsters — are navigating the actual discomfort of being low-income amid lots.
That’s Reya, choosy about getting simply the proper backpack (it must be pink), and insistent that her hair look good. Although she was briefly in foster care, Reya has lived together with her father for the final 12 months.
They’re making it work whereas dealing with struggles many of the households round them by no means think about. Reya’s dad, Reymond Lozano, is pursuing a level in human companies at Highline Faculty. However he says revenue from his work-study job means dad and daughter qualify for less than $100 in meals stamps every month.
Load the price of new college garments and provides for Reya onto their buying checklist, and the price range could be blown aside.
That’s the place the College Provides Drive is available in. A part of the cash collected goes towards the YWCA’s College Days program, which operates at varied websites, together with Passage Level. Donations from Seattle Instances readers filter right down to Reya and different youngsters like her by that program within the type of a backpack and faculty provides. Although, if she has something to say about it, Reya would most likely desire a ebook too.
“She likes math rather a lot. However she’s curious,” mentioned her father, “so studying is admittedly her factor.”
There’s nonetheless time to make a distinction for households just like the Lozanos. The College Provides Drive runs by Labor Day.
How one can assist: The College Provides Drive is a part of The Seattle Instances Fund For These in Want, a registered 501(c)(3) Charitable Group. The simplest option to donate is on-line at st.news/schoolsupplies. Checks can also be despatched to: The Seattle Instances College Provides Drive, P.O. Field C-11025, Seattle, WA 98111; e mail inquiries to ffn@seattletimes.com.
