I do not know if people understand that the generosity of organizations like yours help parents like me all the time.  I wanted to take this time to tell you THANK YOU for everything you are doing to help families like mine in this crisis.  I wanted to make sure that you knew that parents like me appreciate it very much; it has been a godsend for your organization and our school to help us at this time. – Central Middle School Parent

Breaking down barriers is not only our mantra; it’s the bedrock of our mission and our manner of dealing with adversity. We go through, over, around; move past and journey on in our commitment to filling the unmet needs of our students. To say that COVID-19 is a barrier would be an understatement. It’s a Pandora’s Box unleashing new challenges every day the likes of which none of us has ever known. But, staying true to who we are and drawing inspiration from our students that face crises on a regular basis with strength and resilience, we are working to find new ways to safely deliver the services they need at this time and to continue to provide hope.

Here are current initiatives we have underway and how you can be a source of support. THANK YOU!

Feeding Hope Program

For students who rely on school breakfast and lunch programs, food has become a pressing need with schools closed. Many of our school partners have created grab-and-go meal programs at designated school sites, however, we know there are students and families that are unable to access distribution sites and are struggling with hunger right now. In an effort to fill this gap, we have started the Feeding Hope program for the highest risk families identified by school districts we serve.

Through the program, we coordinate directly with families to create a grocery list of food and other essential items and place the order online. This process occurs biweekly, so that students and families will have an ongoing supply throughout the crisis. Through our needs assessment of each family, we also work to connect them with other critical resources.

Needs:

Funding – We are looking for big and small investors in this new program. Donations can be made here.

Food items – To expedite food delivery to families (with so many delays in online ordering), we are assembling boxes of shelf-stable food items in-house to provide each family. We have created a list of needed items and  process for dropping them off at the warehouse here.

Awareness – We need those willing to spread the word to their online networks about getting involved.

Additional ideas – If you have contacts, resources or specific capabilities that may help ensure the success of this program, we would love to hear about them. You can contact Rose Hanley, CEO at rose.hanley@thelittlebitfoundation.org.

Student Care Kits

Social distancing doesn’t have to be disengaging. We can continue to connect, uplift each other and unite as a community around the needs of our most vulnerable populations! While schools are closed, we are working to adapt our delivery model to continue to reach under-resourced students with the essentials they need most. Every other week through the end of May, we are delivering student Care Kits filled with hygiene products, socks and school supplies – along with books – to designated drop-off locations for our partner schools.

Needs:

Financial gifts – Donations at this time will help replenish needed inventory of these items. Monetary gifts can be made here.

Virtual drives – We rely on product drives and donations of high-use items, which have been greatly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore, we are encouraging businesses, individuals, community groups to organize virtual drives using our Amazon Care Kit list. Please contact Emily Jones for more information on hosting a drive.

Little Bit Storytime

Part of our mission involves hosting book fairs each semester at all of the schools we serve to support reading proficiency. Students are able to choose two books, which become part of their personal library, and volunteers/staff read and share stories with them. To continue the spirit of this activity, we are taking Little Bit Storytime online. Along with the Student Care Kits, we are delivering books labeled by reading level, with instructions to view book readings at designated times on the Little Bit Facebook page.

Needs:

Volunteers to read – We are looking for volunteers to record readings of books to be posted online. Please contact Lucy England to sign up.

Books – If you have multiple copies of new books to donate, this would help us create more “follow along” reading opportunities for our students. Please contact Tim Hydar to discuss a donation.

CEO Rosemary Hanley discusses Little Bit and our COVID-19 relief efforts.