East Side Holiday Compassion: In this festive season, the East Side Union High School District faces a staggering rise in homelessness, with 900 students and families now unhoused compared to 300 in 2020. Blasa Ozuna, a district parent and community specialist, notes the multifaceted challenges of housing costs, inflation, and job loss contributing to this crisis.
The district, overseeing 19 campuses with over 21,000 students, grapples with varied forms of inadequate housing. Some students stay in motels or shelters, while others engage in unaccompanied couch surfing. Blasa Ozuna emphasizes the importance of staff awareness, citing signs like students mentioning sleeping on friends’ couches or transportation difficulties.
In response, the district has instituted a ‘district parent and community involved specialist’ role at each campus over the past three years. To address the urgent needs of homeless students, the district and the East Side Education Foundation are launching a fundraising initiative during the Day of Giving. The goal is to bolster the McKinney-Vento Program, a federal initiative safeguarding the enrollment and education of homeless students.
The program currently supports 900 homeless students, but the district seeks to identify more. Maryam Adalat, the director of student services, acknowledges the sensitivity of the situation, aiming to capture information respectfully. In previous years, around $30,000 was raised to provide $100 gift cards per student. This year, the target is $90,000 to sustain this support.
These gift cards, part of the holiday drive, often become crucial resources for students’ families, used for groceries, presents, or essential items. Ozuna emphasizes the students’ immediate thoughts for their families’ well-being, highlighting the pressing challenges they face during the holiday break. To contribute to the cause, visit the East Side Education Foundation website.
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