Save the Family Foundation of Arizona is gearing up for its 15th Annual Back to School Bash. The event provides children in Save the Family’s housing programs with backpacks and school supplies to start the school year ready to learn. This summertime effort draws donors and volunteers together from across the Valley to help children prepare for a successful return to the classroom.
Save the Family is a leading nonprofit organization based in Mesa that provides housing and supportive services to families experiencing homelessness. This year, Save the Family is on track to serve more than 650 families, including more than 1,200 children. With donation drives and volunteer efforts undertaken by church groups, businesses, and others across the Valley, Save the Family will provide a positive start to the next school year for hundreds of children who have faced homelessness and poverty in our community.
Children who have experienced homelessness are twice as likely to have a learning disability, repeat a grade, get expelled, or drop out of high school. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, fewer than 25% of children experiencing homelessness graduate from high school. By equipping students with new backpacks and school supplies in addition to stable housing and support programs for the whole family, Save the Family is able to help families overcome some of the biggest barriers to success.
Among children at Save the Family, more than 70% maintained regular attendance at school last year, with 70% showing improvements in behavior and mental health. Our housing programs – and outreach events like the Back to School Bash – provide the stability, tools and resources that families need to foster academic and social-emotional development.
This year’s Back to School Bash efforts will outfit more than 300 children with the basic essentials every child needs to start school. To learn how you can get involved by hosting a donation drive, email us at [email protected]. For a full listing of what’s needed by grade level, visit us online.
Save the Family Foundation of Arizona has been providing housing, case management, and supportive services for families experiencing homelessness since 1988. Based in Mesa and serving across the Valley, Save the Family is the East Valley’s leading provider of housing and support services for our community’s most vulnerable residents. To learn more about Save the Family and its programs, contact Greg Boone, Chief Development Officer, at (480) 466-7705 or [email protected].