Beyond the classroom: How NYC schools are getting creative to help struggling families

Twenty umbrellas. Two-dozen cotton pillow cases. Two-dozen hairbrushes. Twenty-eight mens’ long sleeve T-shirts. Thirty boxes of mac & cheese. Fifty-six Oreo snack packs.

These are among the essentials a librarian at a high school in Jamaica, Queens, is raising money to purchase for students in her school’s multicultural club, most of whom are recent immigrants and lack enough money for food, personal care, and weather gear.

Tens of thousands of migrant families and others across the five boroughs are facing intense hardship. Housing insecurity is at a record high for New York City students, with 1 in 8 children experiencing homelessness last year, according to a report for Advocates for Children. Four out of five city families said they found it harder to afford groceries this year, with 41% buying less, or no, protein such as meat, fish, or eggs due to cost, a No Kid Hungry survey from the spring found.

Learn more and read the full article here: https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/12/20/how-nyc-schools-help-homeless-families-and-students-in-need/