Helping Hands

Five Star Resource Closets provide basic needs for students and families

Schools in the Five Star District have always been a home away from home for students. This became even more apparent the past few years as students and their families started reaching out to their schools for additional support with basic needs.

“We saw the urgent demand for support rising more than 500 percent in the first few months of the pandemic” said Lisle Reed, Coordinator of the Office of Whole Child Initiatives.

Reed reached out to the Five Star Education Foundation to see if there was a way to provide essential resources to students and families more quickly at the students’ schools, rather than a central location. From these needs, the Five Star Resource Closets
were established.

“Schools are the hub of the community,” said Shannon Hancock, executive director of the Five Star Education Foundation. “They have the relationships with the families and are in the best position to respond immediately when students and families are in need.”

Thoughtfully located in our schools with the biggest need, these resource closets serve as the entry point for students to get connected to long-term community programs. Schools with resources have reported better attendance, decreases in behavioral issues, higher classroom achievement and more.

Currently there are resource closets in 33 district schools. They are made possible thanks to support from Five Star Education Foundation and in collaboration with A Precious Child, Food for Hope and the district’s Office of Whole Child Initiatives. The resource closets have been available since 2020, and, thanks to funding secured by the Foundation,  will remain in place for years to come. The ability to continue offering the resource closets is thanks to investments from the Adams County Foundation, the Safeway and Albertsons Foundation, the Kaiser Foundation and ongoing community support from generous donors.

Whether it’s a bag of groceries to feed a family of five for a few days until they can get connected with long-term resources, school supplies for a refugee student, a pair of shoes so a fourth grader can participate in gym class, or a coat for a high schooler’s cold walk home, students are getting what they need to focus on learning.

“Resource closets are a tool that fosters trust and security, and allows students to be part of a community of learners,”  Hancock said.

---

Five Star Education Foundation has supported students in Adams 12 Five Star Schools for over 30 years. Through our partnership with the district and community, we support programs that provide students with the skills and experiences needed to succeed in today’s world.

Learn more: www.5starfoundation.org