Outreach
Two hands...one for helping yourself, one for helping others                                                                    Audrey Hepburn, actor

 The Clyde N. Day Foundation has contributed both money and sweat equity to the Collins Elementary School through collaboration with the Family Resource Center in Florence, KY.
Our most recent efforts have focused around the Christmas holidays and providing gifts and food for families in need.
We sponsored five families and that effort was joined by 7-Hills Church in Boone County who sponsored 24 families.  That kind of effort is needed as the numbers of those with great need grows daily. 
Going forward more assistance will be needed.
  When the trucks from 7- Hills and Santa arrived with donated gifts, combined with gifts donated by our foundation grateful smiles appeared on the faces parents, church members and Collins Elementary Family Resource Center administrators.

   Later that same evening, a Christmas program in the school's gym featured singing by the school choir, awards to students and station-to-station activities centered around a short story.  Parents were also able to pick up donated gifts for their children to be given at Christmas.  There were joyful and sometimes tearful expressions of gratitude.

   Our experience there has been rewarding and we appreciate the efforts of Kathy Oehler, from the FRC and school Guidance Counselor Betty Pennington in identifying, assessing and enacting solutions for at risk students and families within the school family.


Here’s a brief description of the FRC, including their mission statement.

"Our mission is to reduce the barriers to learning while linking parents and children with necessary services within the school and the community." - Collins Elementary Family Resource Center -


Holiday Assistance Program- Provides gifts, food and financial assistance for basic needs to families who in turn provide service and assistance to the school in exchange for the privilege of participating.

Readi-fest- The FRC organizes a Readi-fest a few days before school starts in August.  Different agencies in our community come together and are a part of this big day! We have important information that the parent can receive on services to help their family. 

Health/Hygiene Week- The FRC organizes a Health and Hygiene week where in September we will do weight checks, and height checks on every student here at Collins.  We also do vision screenings for certain grades and hearing screenings for certain grades.

Coat Drive- Our coat drive starts in October.  The FRC provides children with coats, gloves, and hats whose families can't  afford to purchase these for their child.
 
Food Bank Bags- The FRC receives from the food bank bag program 60 bags a week for 60 children on the food bank list throughout the school year.  These bags help the students here at Collins by providing food for the weekend to them.  We also organize food drives around Thanksgiving and Christmas time to help our families with meals around the holidays. 

Summer Reading Program- During the summer the FRC goes out to a local trailer park or apartment complex of students here at Collins. The FRC provides for on week lunch, crafts, games, prizes, and guest readers. The FRC provides books to the students for them to understand the importance of reading during the summer. 


The Clyde N. Day Foundation has and will continue to work with initiatives like this and seek to further our outreach efforts and fundraising going forward.


 


   



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