A Home for the Holidays

Facing Homelessness Low-income families Bellevue LifeSpring helped last year reported spending more than half their monthly income on rent. Many live squeezed together in cramped quarters or rent rooms in shared apartments to make ends meet. Rising housing costs put low-income families at risk of ending up on the streets. “Transitioning out of homelessness is … Read Now

A Break from Nutrition

Ava is seven years old. She likes to draw and read with her two older brothers. Her parents work hard to provide for their family but their paychecks are barely making ends meet. During winter break, expenses really pile up – heat for their apartment, a babysitter during work hours, a few small holiday gifts. … Read Now

When I Grow Up…

What did you want to be when you grew up? A firefighter, a teacher, an astronaut, a novelist? One of the most inspiring parts of being a student is envisioning any future you want, knowing you can follow your dreams to achieve a multitude of possible careers. However, for 18% of Bellevue students living in … Read Now

Back to School with Bellevue LifeSpring

Kids in Bellevue are headed back to school! That includes the 18% of students living in poverty in the school district. As students head back to class, they may not know that one in five of their classmates is living in poverty and at risk of hunger each day. These students often struggle to succeed … Read Now

Summer Signups: A Look at the Year Ahead

Summers at Bellevue LifeSpring are a busy time. Families in need are looking ahead to the coming school year and holiday season when their tight budgets will be stretched for new jackets and backpacks, holiday meals and gifts under the tree. During the summer, these families meet with Bellevue LifeSpring staff to sign up for … Read Now

The Power of Choice

“This shift [to vouchers] gives our families choices…and choice is empowering.” – Dr. Ivan Duran, Superintendent of the Bellevue School District Last month, a record number of students requested support through Bellevue LifeSpring’s Breaktime-Mealtime™ program. Your investment in this program provided 1,836 students with vital nutrition during spring break. Without your generosity, these students would … Read Now

Parenting the Second Time Around

Daryl and Kate are good grandparents. They spend time with their grandkids, make sure they have access to the resources they need and ensure that they do well in school. They’re also not your typical grandparents. Instead of spoiling the grandkids and then returning them to their parents, they’ve got full-time custody. It started with … Read Now

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast snacks help kids living in poverty start their day right.

Breakfast has long been considered the first and most important meal of the day. It helps to rev your metabolism, gives you energy and helps you focus on school or work. But for many children in Bellevue, breakfast isn’t any meal of the day. More than 3,600 students in the Bellevue School District are currently living … Read Now

Creating Transformational Change: Stories from Bellevue LifeSpring’s Luncheons

Over 3,600 kids in Bellevue live in poverty. In the Bellevue School District, 18% of students are at risk of hunger. Approximately 200 children are homeless. The stories behind these shocking numbers are what bring them to life. Stories of families facing unimaginable loss, building new lives and overcoming the cycle of poverty. Bellevue LifeSpring’s … Read Now

20 Years of Breaktime-Mealtime™: What’s Next?

“You might think feeding a child during a school break is not a big deal…but for someone on food stamps it’s just enough of an extra expense to impact other areas of life, and once again start the spiral downward. It is the cracks which create the gaps…which become the tipping point that can be … Read Now