On Friday, January 31st, the Lincoln County School District (LCSD) Compass Center for Youth and Families hosted the first annual HELP Families Connect. This event was strategically held on the same day as Project Homeless Connect so that families could access services from both events.
Friday, January 31st was a non-school day. Over 110 children and their parents/guardians came through the Center and represented 47 families. Families received information about resources available to them in The Compass Center for Youth and Families. Resources including school supplies, books, socks, and hygiene items were provided during the event. Families were also encouraged to participate in their children’s educations by volunteering with LCSD.
“It has always been a desire to offer an event tailored to students and families that is similar to Project Homeless Connect providing information on services and distributing resources. Now that we have new space at the Compass Center for Youth & Families, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to launch HELP Families Connect,” shared Katey Townsend, HELP Program Coordinator.
There was something for everyone at HELP Families Connect. To attend, the only requirement was that you had children or students. Many of the families that came were looking for more information on school district resources or to check out the Compass Center. The Homeless Education & Literacy Project (H.E.L.P.) Program is housed at the Compass Center and many families facing unstable housing came to the event.
“Since starting with the H.E.L.P. Program in 2010, I have seen a growing awareness in our community about the reality of student homelessness. 17% of our student population faced unstable or inadequate housing during the 2018-19 school year. Over the years the community has stepped up to provide and create critical resources for these families. Although there are still some gaps in services and not enough affordable housing, there are a lot of resources and programs we can guide families to in order to better their situation. Sometimes navigating the resources can be complicated or certain services are not on a family’s radar, but we are here to help!” shared Townsend.
HELP Families Connect was spearheaded by Jutta Pearce, the Community Connections Coordinator and AmeriCorps with LCSD. She led a group of volunteers from Roby’s Furniture and Appliance and Toledo Foursquare Church’s youth group to assemble supply bags. She recruited community volunteers to help set up at the event and distribute items. “Jutta has done an amazing job of bringing the community together to help others,” shared Townsend. “She is also a major advocate for volunteerism in the schools and is paving the way for more parents and adults to get involved in supporting students’ education.”
Jutta says, “We are excited to see the community come in such large numbers to access resources here. We can continue to grow the resources and information available at The Compass Center with your help. I am always available to help organizations or individuals learn more about partnering with LCSD to provide services for families.” To learn more contact Jutta Pearce – LCSD Community Connections Coordinator – 541.574.9419 or jutta.pearce@lincoln.k12.or.us
El viernes 31 de enero, el Centro Compass para Jóvenes y Familias del Distrito Escolar del Condado de Lincoln (LCSD) organizó el primer HELP Families Connect anual. Este evento se realizó estratégicamente el mismo día que Project Homeless Connect para que las familias puedan acceder a los servicios de ambos eventos. El viernes 31 de enero fue un día no escolar. Más de 110 niños y sus padres / tutores ingresaron al Centro y representaron a 47 familias. Las familias recibieron información sobre los recursos disponibles en The Compass Center for Youth and Families. Durante el evento se proporcionaron recursos que incluyen útiles escolares, libros, calcetines y artículos de higiene. También se alentó a las familias a participar en la educación de sus hijos ofreciéndose como voluntarios con LCSD. “Siempre ha sido un deseo ofrecer un evento a medida para estudiantes y familias que sea similar a Project Homeless Connect, proporcionando información sobre servicios y distribuyendo recursos. Ahora que tenemos un nuevo espacio en el Centro Compass para Jóvenes y Familias, parecía la oportunidad perfecta para lanzar HELP Families Connect ”, compartió Katey Townsend, Coordinadora del Programa HELP. Había algo para todos en HELP Families Connect. Para asistir, el único requisito era que tuvieras hijos o estudiantes. Muchas de las familias que vinieron estaban buscando más información sobre los recursos del distrito escolar o para visitar el Centro Compass. El Programa del Proyecto de Educación y Alfabetización para Personas sin Hogar (H.E.L.P.) se encuentra en el Centro Compass y muchas familias que enfrentan viviendas inestables asistieron al evento. “Desde que comencé con el H.E.L.P. Programa en 2010, he visto una creciente conciencia en nuestra comunidad sobre la realidad de la falta de vivienda de los estudiantes. El 17% de nuestra población estudiantil se enfrentó a una vivienda inestable o inadecuada durante el año escolar 2018-19. Con los años, la comunidad se ha intensificado para proporcionar y crear recursos críticos para estas familias. Aunque todavía hay algunas lagunas en los servicios y no hay suficientes viviendas asequibles, hay muchos recursos y programas a los que podemos orientar a las familias para mejorar su situación. ¡A veces navegar por los recursos puede ser complicado o ciertos servicios no están en el radar de una familia, pero estamos aquí para ayudar! ”, Compartió Townsend.