There were hundreds of grateful families and smiling faces inside the Morgan Hill Unified School District board room Aug. 12 as they received free back-to-school goodie bags that included a new pair of shoes and a $50 Old Navy gift card.
MHUSD’s Community Advocacy and Resources for Education team, known as CARE, secured a grant from the nonprofit agency “My New Red Shoes” to be able to treat 400 local children in need before the start of the 2017-18 school year.
“Back-to-school time can be incredibly stressful for parents when money is tight,” said Linda Row, MHUSD Director of Student Services and Enrollment. “Donations like the one we received from ‘My New Red Shoes’ allow us to help hundreds of students start the year off with new clothes and confidence.”
The first day of school for MHUSD was Aug. 17.
The Redwood City-based nonprofit My New Red Shoes “is dedicated to boosting self-confidence, educational experiences and quality of life for Bay Area low-income and homeless children,” according to MHUSD staff. “Believing that all students should have the opportunity to start the school year on a level playing field to succeed, the organization is doing its part to help families in need.”
In addition to shoes and gift cards, the CARE team received 60 backpacks for students from the Jubilee Bridge Church. Other nonprofit providers who were on hand for families included Cecelia’s Closet, Second Harvest Food Bank, Foothill Community Health Center, Morgan Hill Library and the Healthier Kids Foundation of Santa Clara County.
“Our families, especially those with multiple children, were appreciative to receive the gift of shoes and a chance to shop (for new clothes),” said Andrea Bird, a lead counselor for the MHUSD CARE team. “This is a marvelous outreach program, and it helps to build the confidence and self-esteem of our students in need. We appreciate all of the support we receive from the community for our CARE program, and the grant from My New Red Shoes is a game changer for so many of our kids.”
MHUSD’s CARE program was established in 2016 in response to data-driven research conducted by district staff to the needs of students, grades 6-12, who fall under the criteria of homeless, foster and socioeconomically disadvantaged youth.
“With the homeless population on the rise in Morgan Hill, this program is more important than ever and in partnership with organizations such as My New Red Shoes, the CARE Team is able to expand their reach and serve even more students in our district,” according to district staff.
