2021-2022 Funding Proposal
For the
City of Cathedral City
Cathedral City
FUNDING REQUEST: $15,000 to clothe over 300 Cathedral City elementary school students as well as provide hygiene kits for those students.
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED THIS FISCAL YEAR (June 1 to May 31): 2500 YOUTH, 100 ADULTS, 400 SENIORS
Relevant Public Services: Provide equipment, supplies, and materials necessary to carry-out a public service related to the effects of the pandemic, or to enable resilience to the effects of coronavirus in future, such as food banks, youth services, health care, WIFI, or senior services.
A. GENERAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
We seek funding for our Operation School Bell® program which serves disadvantaged, under- represented minority youth. We serve three school districts (Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, and Desert Sands), the majority of these district students are disadvantaged.
Through our Operation School Bell program, the organization purchases new school clothing and hygiene kits for distribution to students i n need. Since 1991, our organization has provided these items to under-served, under represented, low-income students. Over 50,000 students have been served through the program. There are no comparable programs in the area.
School personnel refer us to needy students, i.e.: students with limited school clothes because of an emergency or crisis; students raised by a struggling single parent, in foster care, or living in a homeless shelter; students being teased or bullied because of the clothes they wear; and students teachers observe wearing worn, torn or ill-fitting clothing, or the same clothes day after day. After students are identified, our volunteers order clothing and pack clothing bags for recipients.
Participating students receive shirts, shoes, socks, underwear, and hygiene kits. Additional clothing and hygiene kits are purchased for inventory which enables school administrators to distribute clothing and hygiene kits throughout the school year as needs arise such as the arrival of migrant students or other new enrollees, students unable to comply with a school uniform policy due to lack of proper clothing, and students needing clothing replaced be cause clothing items become worn or no longer fit.
Our goals for the 2021-2022 school year are to clothe 2,500 students at a cost of $40 per participant and to purchase 3,000 hygiene kits at a cost of $4.00 per kit. 2,500 kits will be distributed along with clothing bags. An additional 500 kits will be distributed to homeless students and others in need of hygiene kits. Additionally, extra clothing will be purchased for inventory. The extra inventory enables school administrators to distribute clothing throughout the school year as needs arise.
Participants by school district are projected to be:
Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) 863
Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) 1,200
Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) 437
the school year as needs arise.
Participants by school district are projected to be:
Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) 863
Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) 1,200
Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) 437
Budget
Clothing $95,000
Health $12,000
Office Supplies, Printing, Postage $ 200
TOTAL $107,200
In 2021-2022
, we will clothe over 300 PSUSD students in the following Cathedral City schools:
Agua Caliente, Cathedral City, Landau, Rio Vista and Sunny Sands. These schools were identified by PSUSD as being the most in need. Our expenditures for Cathedral City student benefits are already in excess of excess of $10,000 and the school year will not end for several months.
Providing new school clothes improves student self-esteem, attendance, and classroom behavior while reducing teasing and bullying. Having clothes to wear to school prepares students to learn and focus on school work rather than worrying about having proper clothing and fitting in with their peers. Beyond that, providing clothing to disadvantaged students is an important part of their well-being. As we have developed relationships with school district personnel who work with homeless families and others from disadvantaged circumstances, we find that those we serve need reassurance of stability in these uncertain times.
Distributing hygiene kits is impactful as many students we serve do not have access to basic toiletry items. Student anxiety is reduced and self-esteem and confidence improve as students have needed hygiene supplies. These supplies also reduce incidents of disease as well as reinforce the hygiene steps necessary to prevent further COVID spread throughout family groups and the local communities.
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected minority families in the Coachella Valley financially, physically and mentally. Many families are still either under or unemployed, facing eviction or unable to obtain childcare in order to make ends meet. By providing new school clothing and hygiene kits, our organization relieves some of the financial stress faced by these families.
B. COVID-19 impact and our efforts to mitigate that impact.
In 2020, our organization pivoted to increase our focus on hygiene and the ways to educate students on proper hygiene. This was to help families mitigate COVID-19 infection transmission, as well as learn proper daily hygiene with the provision of hygiene kits alongside the new clothing. COVID-19 disproportionately affected minority families in the Coachella Valley financially, physically and mentally. As many as 94% of Coachella Valley school children qualify of free or reduced lunches. The continued financial effect of job loss, underemployment or caregiving is placing families under extreme financial duress. New clothing was not a necessity under the 2020-2021 virtual learning models, but with schools back to in person learning, as well as the resumption of social interactions and recreation, we are being contacted by more school principals to see if we can provide necessary clothing for needy students. Many valley schools require uniforms, adding to back-to-school stress. With new school clothing and hygiene kits, our organization relieves some of the financial stress faced by these families, as well as providing self-confidence to those adversely impacted by COVID.
C. Please describe how you will evaluate or measure the success of this grant request.
Evaluation of this program is accomplished by surveying the teachers who referred students to the program. We measure the change in student behavior. Historically, positive results have been shown in all three of the areas surveyed: observed change in classroom behavior, observed change in student confidence, and observed change in level of engagement with peers and/or school activities.
D. Please list the names and describe the roles of key organizations or agencies that will collaborate with your organization to implement this program or project.
Key organizations: Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD), Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), and Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD) provide the number of participants for each respective districts and the participants’ schools. The districts may also assist in the packing of the new clothing and hygiene kits as well as providing space for the packing and distribution. We also have financial support from some of the Coachella Valley cities, including Indio, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage.
Submitted by:
Jennifer Gifford
Grants Chairperson
Assistance League Coachella Valley
P.O. Box 3056
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270