For many people, the holiday season brings a time of joy and peace. For others, it can be a time of financial burden, stress and sadness. Many of the families CIS serves must make difficult choices regarding providing for their family with basic needs or providing holiday gifts for their children.
CIS would like to thank all of the generous donors this holiday season, who have helped a family experience joy.
What sets Communities In Schools apart from other organizations? The answer is simple, a CIS site coordinator based at each school we serve who works everyday to develop relationships with students and their families.
David Larson, site coordinator, shares a story of a student he connected to services: Last year, Zack was a fourth grader who was two years below grade level in reading and math. He had poor attendance and not many friends. Zack wore the same shoes and clothes which had holes in them day after day. He spent a lot of time in the principal's office because of behavior issues in the classroom. And Mom, a single parent who dropped out of high school, never came to Zack's conferences or other school activities.
CIS connected Zack to many community services: a tutor, a mentor, after-school recreation, clothes, coat and shoe vouchers, holiday
assistance, a social skills lunch group, and in home services.
The result: Zack is on track in reading and math, he continues to meet with his mentor, he has made a lot of friends, and has not been in the principal's office since attending the social skills group.
CIS helped Zack, but also, with our help, Mom is now enrolled in a GED class, she attends all of Zack's conferences, and volunteers at the school as a Helping Hand. Zack's incredible transformation is only one of many that CIS site coordinators witness year after year, because of the connections and the relationships CIS has fostered in our community.
It only takes $300 a year to ensure that one child involved with CIS receives the services they need and deserve.
We hope that you will consider a gift to Communities In Schools this year so that we can reach out to many more children, like Zack, who need help in achieving success and preparing for life, in both school and at home.
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