In 2011, Somebody Cares St. Augustine joined forces with the St. Johns County School District to help provide for the over 600 homeless students in our county.  Since then, we have supplied shoes, clothes, handicapped equipment, and we have tried to meet every need that has been brought to us, and we want to continue to help these students that are staying in school under the most difficult circumstances.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homeless children and youth as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, adequate, nighttime residence.”

Dear Friends:

There are over 400 children in the SJC public school system that are homeless according to the government definition. Take a look at some barriers to education that homeless children and youth face:

  • unable to meet enrollment requirements
  • high mobility resulting in lack of school stability and educational continuity
  • lack of transportation
  • lack of school supplies and clothing
  • poor health, fatigue, and hunger
  • -(naehcy.org)

    The government has funded a person to administer a program for these students in the schools but does not provide any funds to actually help them. Since learning about this need last summer, Somebody Cares St. Augustine has been working with the schools to meet the needs of these students.

    Every November we unite churches and organizations to collect coats for our homeless students.  We provide hundreds of winter clothing items each year.

    We provide college scholarships each year to selected graduating homeless students.

    We have provided dozens of laptop computers, emergency housing, repairs to homes, clothing, food, senior fees and other necessities.

    In order to continue to meet this need, we need your help. Please consider partnering with us by making a donation to Somebody Cares St. Augustine, Homeless Student Fund. The school system Is not allowed to receive financial donations, so we are setting up a fund for this purpose.

    Sincerely,

    John Clifton

    President, Somebody Cares St. Augustine