Student & Family COVID Relief Fund for GSP
Donation protected
Students and their families at ASPIRE Golden State Prep (the school I work at) are truly amazing. Within the last month they have shown incredible resilience and growth mindset as we transitioned to be a fully virtual school due to COVID-19, serving 600 6th-12th graders in East Oakland. 90% of our students qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch. We are working hard as a staff and community to strengthen our relationships with students and families and to help students develop effective and predictable routines for a scenario that none of us saw coming.
While we are making progress through these relationships and routines we are hearing more and more from our students and families in need of more than simply engaging online instruction. Many of our families are also in need of basic necessities like food, housing, and wifi hotspots as well as support in covering unexpected medical expenses.
Based on our family needs assessment:
~30 families are already relying on the district for food AND still do not have enough to eat
~65 families are having trouble paying utility bills
~70 families are worried about paying their mortgage or rent next month
~15 families do not have access to consistent wireless for their students to access the curriculum/content
We know that there are organizations providing relief AND we also know that there can be barriers to accessing those relief funds such as long waits, cumbersome processes, concerns about immigration, etc. Given that we communicate, listen to and interface with our families directly, my hope is to be able to provide direct aid to as many of our GSP families as possible.
In terms of how the funds will be used, we have already created a database of families in need. As money is donated, it will be given directly to our families. Families will receive money based on expressed area of need and number of children under 18 in the household. Through outreach and support our family relief support team will determine the type of funding a family receives such as grocery gift cards, utility bill vouchers, etc.
Your support will allow us to do that. To serve the whole child (and their family) as we work to navigate this crisis together. Our staff and community thank you all in advance for your support in efforts to support our GSP students and families during these difficult times!
*Please note this is a personal campaign. While 100% of the donations will serve the students and families of Golden State Prep, this campaign is not sponsored directly by ASPIRE Public Schools.
While we are making progress through these relationships and routines we are hearing more and more from our students and families in need of more than simply engaging online instruction. Many of our families are also in need of basic necessities like food, housing, and wifi hotspots as well as support in covering unexpected medical expenses.
Based on our family needs assessment:
~30 families are already relying on the district for food AND still do not have enough to eat
~65 families are having trouble paying utility bills
~70 families are worried about paying their mortgage or rent next month
~15 families do not have access to consistent wireless for their students to access the curriculum/content
We know that there are organizations providing relief AND we also know that there can be barriers to accessing those relief funds such as long waits, cumbersome processes, concerns about immigration, etc. Given that we communicate, listen to and interface with our families directly, my hope is to be able to provide direct aid to as many of our GSP families as possible.
In terms of how the funds will be used, we have already created a database of families in need. As money is donated, it will be given directly to our families. Families will receive money based on expressed area of need and number of children under 18 in the household. Through outreach and support our family relief support team will determine the type of funding a family receives such as grocery gift cards, utility bill vouchers, etc.
Your support will allow us to do that. To serve the whole child (and their family) as we work to navigate this crisis together. Our staff and community thank you all in advance for your support in efforts to support our GSP students and families during these difficult times!
*Please note this is a personal campaign. While 100% of the donations will serve the students and families of Golden State Prep, this campaign is not sponsored directly by ASPIRE Public Schools.
Organizer
Mitchell Zoelzer
Organizer
Oakland, CA