Like many schools in our region, homelessness & housing insecurity is a significant, yet all too hidden, problem in our school. Here are startling numbers:

• 33% of Students at Edmonds Woodway are in Low Income Households
• 1 in 40 Students Are Homeless
  (As known by qualifying for Federal Programs)
• 1:25 Students Believed To Experiencing Housing or Food Insecurity
  (When staff include those students/families who haven’t filed paperwork to qualify for benefits)

Based on these numbers, ever day in each classroom of our high school, there is a student who doesn’t know where they will call home tomorrow or where their next meal will come from…

And the holidays only put further pressure on them. Not only in missing out on seasonal traditions and gifts, but also missing out on the resources they get from being at school… food, shelter, friends and support… during the extended time of Thanksgiving & Holidays breaks.

Your Support of Joy of Giving Makes A Difference

While we cannot solve housing & food insecurity for our community’s students and families with a seasonal fundraiser, we can make a major difference in their lives and help them relieve some stress during this season and beyond.

You can support the Joy Giving in the following ways:

Donation

The PSO coordinates with Esther Eligio, the EWHS Family Resource Advocate, to spend these funds in the most effective & purposeful manner to meet student & family needs which are not covered by Federal or other community programs. These include:

• Building holiday meal kits
• Food packs to sustain families during extended school breaks
• Gas cards for students or families living in cars or needing to commute from temporary housing.
• Gift cards for clothing, household goods, etc.

Using our status as a 501c3 Charitable Organization… we provide a potential tax benefit for your donation while also being able to negotiate with local providers for discounts on all these items including gift cards. This helps your donation go further to help these students.

DONATE TO THE JOY OF GIVING!

AMAZON WISH LIST

Esther has a direct connection to what these kids need the most, and keeps an Amazon Wish List posted so you can purchase something specific for a student… or so you can use those dusty Amazon Gift cards & certificates in your kitchen drawer (you remember that one your sister-in-law gave you for your birthday, right… yeah that one) to work for a great cause.

VOLUNTEER

Esther organizes, packs & delivers food & gift packs for students and families for Thanksgiving and Holiday break. You can help her with this project, or help by writing a note of support and kindness to these deserving students during this season.

CLICK TO volunteer for THE JOY OF GIVING!

THANK YOU!

Your donation will allow these families to celebrate the holidays when they otherwise may not. The Parent Staff Organization (PSO) works closely with the Family Resource Advocate to collect donated funds for this program.

Our goal is raise at least $6,000 to be shared among those most in need.  If we can raise more, we’ll be ablet to help these students through the rest of the Winter and into the Spring.

Can you help?  Please donate by November 18 to ensure time to deliver gifts to students.

Thank you for helping in any way you can!

For more on the Joy of Giving, please watch this video.

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