Seattle Public Schools staff play an essential role connecting students and families to available resources like the Alliance’s Right Now Needs Fund.
We know that when the basic needs of students are met, they are more likely to succeed within and beyond the classroom. That’s why in 2018, the Right Now Needs Fund was founded in partnership with the Alliance for Education, Amazon and Seattle Public Schools to work at the individual school level to support the immediate basic needs of Seattle students and families.
Dustin Cole, a special education teacher at Graham Hill Elementary School in south Seattle shares about how proud they are of their school community and the support staff are able to provide to families.
“Our Right Now Needs Fund allows our social worker to provide needs right now to all of our families. These needs can include groceries, extra diapers or even a coat with a warm hood,” says Dustin. “In fact, recently, our social worker was able to provide brand new glasses to one of our scholars and one of my students was able to get a new bed to help support their sleep at home.”
The Fund is designed to be efficient, flexible and impactful, covering the cost of warm clothing, meals, and housing for students at all Seattle Public Schools, addressing student needs that are not otherwise funded in a school budget.
“It helps make such a powerful and tangible difference to our students that we are providing every single day to our families,” says Dustin.
Learn more, download and share resource flyers (available in Amharic, Chinese, Enlgish, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya and Vietnamese) and make a donation to the Right Now Needs Fund here.