Elise’s Story

Elise moved to Bellevue with her family when she was in middle school. She spoke no English. She was smart and hard-working and by the time she reached high school she had graduated out of her ESL classes. As a senior at Sammamish High School, Elise learned about the Overlake Service League college scholarship program. … Read Now

Christmas in July: Summer Signups at Bellevue LifeSpring

Summer is one of the busiest times of year for our programs and services team. During July and August, they’ll interview nearly 300 families during signups for our Clothes-4-Kids™ and Holiday Adopt-A-Family™ programs. In the past, these summer signups have been held in rented and borrowed spaces. This year, thanks to our new office, we … Read Now

Grads-On-Track™ By the Numbers

Luisa's summer school scholarship helped put her on the path toward college.

Low-income students are especially vulnerable to falling behind in school. An unstable home life and poor nutrition can cause students living in poverty to fail their classes. On average, summer school courses to make up a class and retrieve credits are $180 each and can cost up to $420. Families living in poverty are already … Read Now

School Snacks for Success

Healthy school snacks support student success in the classroom and beyond.

Healthy school snacks are one of the most frequent requests we receive from the Bellevue School District. Some days, Stevenson Elementary School’s Family Connections Center is overwhelmed with requests for snacks and the cupboards are bare. In one month, they received 26 requests for snacks from 19 teachers. Kids who don’t eat breakfast have a … Read Now

The Pathway Out of Poverty

2017 Bellevue LifeSpring fourth-year college scholarship recipients

Bellevue LifeSpring’s renewable, need-based college scholarships are allowing more students living in poverty to achieve their dreams of higher education. This spring, four of Bellevue LifeSpring’s college scholarship recipients are graduating and moving on to brighter futures.   Telma comes from a single-income household and commutes to school to save money. In addition to being … Read Now

Where Are They Now?

For students living in poverty, just graduating from high school can be an uphill climb. The prospect of going on to college may seem like an impossible dream. However, thanks to the support of our community, Bellevue LifeSpring’s college scholarships program is making those dreams a reality. By the year 2020, 70% of jobs in … Read Now

More Than Gifts – Holiday Adopt-A-Family 2016

The energy in the lobby of First United Methodist Church is palpable – even at 7 a.m. on the Tuesday before Christmas. Volunteers armed with carts wait expectantly for sponsors to arrive so they can help unload their cars and deliver gifts to one of 283 folding chairs marked with a name and a number. … Read Now

What’s in the Box?

Breaktime-Mealtime box

Jessica is nine years old. She takes the bus to and from school because her mother works long hours. As the days get shorter and colder, Jessica is excited for the holidays but worries about what she will eat during break. She relies on the school meals she receives through the free and reduced-price lunch … Read Now

Because of You, He Has a Home

high school graduation

Henry was only three months away from high school graduation when he suddenly found himself homeless. After couch-surfing for a couple of weeks, he found a friend whose parents would let him rent their basement for $300 a month. He was able to stretch his savings to cover the first month’s rent but wasn’t sure … Read Now

Your Gift to a Local Family

Jackson, 15, and his sister Emma, 10, both attend Bellevue public schools. Jackson loves to play basketball. Emma plays basketball as well, but her true loves are art and writing. They also have an incredibly resilient mother, Alison. When asked what her biggest challenge had been over the past year, Alison smiled through her tears … Read Now