by Heather Ah San

FAIRFIELD — While many Solano County students shop for new binders, highlighters and tricked-out backpacks, there’s a small percentage of youths who need all those things and more but can’t afford or don’t have access to them.

Becky Cruz, of the Solano County Office of Education, in 2011 said they identified 1,400 homeless youths in the county and, as of this January, there were 1,200 documented homeless students in the county. While the numbers since then aren’t in yet, she believes the number of homeless students this year has grown.

As the school year approaches, Cruz and her staff at the Solano County Office of Education saw the need that homeless students have, not just for basic necessities but for supplies they needed to start school off right.

Her staff helps homeless and foster students find necessary support services, educational services, shelter and more.

via Community helps homeless students start school year well.

Sutter Health employees, including those at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, have challenged each other to outdo one another in school supply donations for the county’s homeless youngsters, a spokesman said late last week.

Having heard of the Solano County Office of Education’s Regional Stuff the Bus Campaign, Sutter’s local employees have rallied behind the effort, Sutter Health’s Solano County spokesman Russell “Sy” Neilson said.

The county office of education estimates that more than 1,400 homeless students live in Solano County, finding shelter where they can, Neilson said.

Sutter’s Solano County employees “created a bit of healthy competition among departments,” Neilson said. “Employees have even been emailing pictures to each other of their department’s donation boxes as they fill up and this has encouraged others to step up their donation efforts,” he said.

via Sutter employees donate supplies to homeless kids.

Over the last school year, Solano County schools have identified more than 1,400 homeless students. These young people may be unaccompanied and couch surfing from home-to-home, living on the streets, in shelters, or staying temporarily with family or friends due to a loss of housing or financial problems.

To assist the homeless youth of Solano County, the Solano County Office of Education, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Educational Partnership Foundation of Solano, and Travis Credit Union are supporting the Regional Stuff the Bus campaign.

Our youth can use: backpacks for all ages (please no solid blue or red colors), alarm clocks, lunch bags, binders, binder dividers, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, paper, highlighters, crayons, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, flash cards, note pads, pencil pouches, rulers, and calculators.

via Help Solano’s Homeless Youth Get a Good Start to the School Year!

by Barry Eberling

FAIRFIELD — A campaign by various local agencies and groups is under way to help homeless children get school supplies for a new school year.

Solano County has about 1,400 homeless schoolchildren, according to the Solano County Office of Education. They might live in shelters or move from home to home or even sleep on the streets.

The “Stuff the Bus” campaign seeks donations of various supplies. Items requested include alarm clocks, backpacks in colors besides solid blue or red, pencils, erasers, paper, crayons, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, flash cards, pencil pouches, rulers and calculators.

via Campaign gathers school supplies for Solano’s homeless children.

Over the last school year, Solano County schools have identified more than 1,400 homeless students, some in Dixon. These young people may be unaccompanied and couch surfing from home-to-home, living on the streets, in shelters, or staying temporarily with family or friends due to a loss of housing or financial problems.   To assist the homeless youth of Solano County, the Solano County Office of Education, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Educational Partnership Foundation of Solano, and Travis Credit Union are supporting the Regional Stuff the Bus campaign.

via Help Homeless Students Get Ready for School.

by Heather Ah San

FAIRFIELD — A group representing schools, nonprofits and private enterprise has banded together to help ensure that Solano County’s homeless children have what they need to start school in the fall.

The Solano County Office of Education, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, the Educational Partnership Foundation of Solano and Travis Credit Union are collecting backpacks for all ages (no solid blue or red colors), alarm clocks, lunch bags, binders, binder dividers, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, paper, highlighters, crayons, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, flash cards, note pads, pencil pouches, rulers and calculators.

via Groups collecting school supplies for homeless children.