District 742’s Title I Homeless Services Program
In pursuit of our mission to prepare, engage, educate, empower and inspire all learners, we sometimes must begin with the
basics. For some students, these basics are just that: clothing, food and school supplies. Fulfilling these needs is what the District 742 Title I Homeless Services program sets out to do.
According to Jen Loch, Program Assistant of the Homeless Program, “We typically have about 300-350 homeless students each school year. So far this year, we have 179.”
Loch works alongside Barb Wagner, District 742 social worker, to meet the needs of these homeless students so that they are given an equitable opportunity at education. The program can assist families living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, campground, on the street, in an abandoned building, trailer or other inadequate space or living with friends or relatives. Many of these students are identified by schools, shelters, motels and word-of-mouth.
“At this time we have at least ten families residing in motels waiting to get into shelters or trying to find housing,” said Loch.
Originally housed out of Roosevelt, the program filled an entire storeroom with clothing, boots, household items, air mattresses, furniture, food, and school supplies that were lost in the fire.
“We started from scratch this year,” said Loch. “Insurance is covering some of it, but all of the items were donated, so it’s hard to put a dollar amount on that.”
Now located in the Welcome Center at Discovery Community School in Waite Park, the program has been able to begin building its inventory again. Donations come from all around including organizations such as the Optimist Club, Knights of Columbus, First Presbyterian Church and SCSU.
“We’ve recently started a LEAF homeless student services fund with a $10,000 matching grant,” added Loch, “so we can provide the basic needs for students. This can also fund motel rooms for families while they are on the waiting list for the Salvation Army Emergency Shelter.”
In addition to supplying homeless students and families with needed items, the program supports parents with efforts to maintain current school placement. This includes providing transportation services for students to their school of origin which is especially helpful for families residing in shelters and motels. As a program funded through Title I, it receives a $40,000 McKinney-Vento Grant. This year, the funds were used, in part, to lease a van to assist with student transportation needs.
The program also provides offsite registration and connects families with additional community services through places like Tri-CAP, local shelters and Catholic Charities. All students who are identified as homeless automatically qualify for Targeted Services, so students are able to receive the much needed academic support.
Lastly, in the spirit of the holiday season, Homeless Services has begun an informal adopt-a-family program for families who did not sign up in time to take advantage of other local programs such as Toys for Tots and Share the Spirit.
Anyone interested in learning more or donating to the District 742 Title I Homeless Services program, can contact the Welcome Center at 320-202-6897.