“At the beginning of the year, a lot of students needed water bottles because they couldn’t access the drinking fountains due to COVID restrictions. I reached out to a few businesses near Pope and asked if they’d be willing to help and they graciously agreed. We’ve handed out over 150 water bottles this year. It’s so great to have one ready for any student who needs one.” -Kelsey Hays, Pope Elementary Site Coordinator

“It’s so awesome to be a part of a team that collaborates to support students. We see these students as individuals and find creative ways to help them become successful learners.” -Holly Bonacio, Karshner Elementary Site Coordinator

“One of the highlights of my week is a lunch buddy group I have with three fourth-grade girls. We’ve been meeting together since they were in first grade. It’s been great over the years getting to know them and building those relationships, knowing strong relationships are a key component to their success.” -Janeen Covell, Sunrise Elementary Site Coordinator

“I worked with a family that was going through a lot—losing their house and dad being out of work due to COVID. We were able to connect them with financial resources for rent and utilities. A year later, the family is doing great now. They just needed a little extra support to get them through. The services we offered were exactly what they needed." -Chris Stocklager, former Site Coordinator

“Being a Site Coordinator has been such a fulfilling and rewarding job—being able to connect with the students, build relationships, and meet their immediate needs.” -Vanessa Nelson, Firgrove Elementary Site Coordinator

“One day I was helping a student receive their weekend food. One student looked up to me and they said, ‘Thank you for providing this food for my family. It makes it easier on my parents, so they don’t have to go to the store and get us snacks.’ The fact that a young child had the concept of food insecurity—it impacted me. It made me more motivated to come to work and provide them the tools they need to be successful.” -Sami Schubert, Dessie Evans Elementary Site Coordinator

“It’s one thing to help our kids have good attendance and good grades, but ultimately, we want kids to feel like they belong. They belong in school, they have people who care for them, and only then do we start to see that their grades are improving and they’re showing up for school because they know people care.” -Kay Tremper, Stewart Elementary Site Coordinator