Three Springs High School is asking for help in providing for students’ food needs first, gifts if possible
CHENEY – Three Springs High School is a small, tight-knit community. It’s also a community without a lot of resources.
Both of these can serve to amplify needs, particularly around the holidays. To address those needs, Three Springs staff are asking for the public’s help in providing a better Christmas for students and their families than those families might be capable of providing themselves.
For the second year in a row, English and Language Arts teacher Lindsey Villeneuve is organizing an “Adopt a family in the West Plains for Christmas” fundraiser to help with Three Springs families’ needs. As with last year’s effort, Villeneuve said they are hoping businesses and individuals might step up and provide cash donations to help staff purchase food for families in need, for starters.
“And then with what’s left over, what we can come up with small gifts for these kids,” she added.
According to the school’s report card on the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s website, Three Springs — an alternative school for students in grades 9 – 12 who face challenges attending a mainline high school — had an enrollment of 62 students. Of those students, 75.8 % were from low income families who were eligible for free and reduced meals.
School Principal and Director of Alternative Learning Programs Catheleen Scott said this year 69 students are enrolled — with a school capacity for 75-77 students — and that the percentage of low income students hasn’t changed. In a West Plains Chamber of Commerce email about the fundraiser, school officials said they know of at least 30 families with nothing in the way of food or gifts for Christmas, something both Scott and Villeneuve said is pretty easy to confirm.
“We have a really strong connection with our families,” Scott said. “They talk to us.”
Villeneuve said the “Adopt a family” effort began last year when someone asked her if the school had a giving tree where gift requests could be submitted. Villeneuve said they didn’t, and realized something was needed.
Staff worked with area organizations — including the West Plains Chamber and businesses — to provide some help for those needs in the week prior to Christmas break. One of those businesses was Grocery Outlet in Airway Heights, who donated 30 hams. With the help of the mother of a Three Springs student who donated another five, Scott said they were able to provide some food assistance.
This year, they have a bit more time, but no less of a need.
“One of the hardest things is we know kids are hungry,” Scott said.
Villeneuve said they are hoping to provide assistance to families by the beginning of the Christmas break, which commences Dec. 18. Donations can be mailed to Three Springs High School, 12414 S. Andrus Road, Cheney 99004 and marked attention Lindsey. She added that if people were hesitant about mailing a donation, she would be happy to pick them up in person and could be reached at lvilleneuve@cheneysd.org.
Both Scott and Villeneuve said the needs of school families extends beyond the holiday season. Villeneuve said they would like to start some sort of a foundation to provide assistance to students and families while Scott said the school is the only one of the district’s facilities that doesn’t offer the “food-to-go” program..
The program costs Cheney High School about $310 per student to run, Scott said, funds Three Springs doesn’t have. The school is hoping a “sustainable partner” might step forward to help cover the costs of the program, she added.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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