Bellevue students are heading back to school next month following a challenging year of remote learning and a global pandemic. With the new school year starting back up, many students face learning curves and have to play catch up as they transition back to in-person learning.
Bellevue students from low-income households are especially vulnerable to these challenges on top of continuing to feel the economic impacts of COVID-19. Approximately 4,200 children in the Bellevue School District are at risk of experiencing food and housing insecurity – an issue that’s been exacerbated during the pandemic.
Since the pandemic began, your support provided over 800,000 meals to Bellevue students who rely on their school’s free and reduced lunch program. You also provided rent assistance for low-income families that prevented homelessness for over 880 Bellevue children.
The challenges families with children in our community face due to the pandemic will continue for months ahead. We continue to work hand in hand with the Bellevue School District to address any gaps in service to help ensure no student faces hunger or homelessness.
On Track for Success
Bellevue LifeSpring’s goal is to close the graduation gap for Bellevue students from low-income households by supporting their basic needs through programs that provide food, clothing, education, and emergency assistance. When a student’s basic needs are met, they are able to focus on their education and have the opportunity to thrive in school.
Here are three things you can do to help ensure all Bellevue students are on track for a successful school year and beyond:
- Give Where You Live – Over the past year, we have seen food assistance requests increase by 50% and rental assistance requests triple. Invest in your community today and help provide grocery store food vouchers and emergency rent payments for Bellevue children and families. When we give where we live, everyone benefits.
- Donate Healthy Snacks at Movies in the Park – Bellevue’s Downtown Movies in the Park is back! Bellevue LifeSpring is grateful to be the featured charity on August 10 for the showing of Trolls World Tour. We will be there collecting donations of healthy snacks for Bellevue kids. Check out our list of suggested snacks here. There’s nothing that says summer like an outdoor movie in the park, so come by, say hi, and bring some snacks to help support local students.
- Create Connections and Stay Informed – One obstacle to fighting poverty here in Bellevue is that people do not realize poverty exists here. Help inform your neighbors that one in five Bellevue students rely on their school’s free and reduced lunch program for meals and are at risk of experiencing hunger and homelessness. You can check out our messaging toolkit for ideas on how to share about the needs of local children with your family and friends.
Thank you for supporting a pathway towards a brighter future for all Bellevue students. Your support creates better learning opportunities, a prepared workforce, and ultimately a stronger Bellevue.
