Family Resource centers report hundreds of contacts and holiday assistance in December

District family resource and youth services center coordinators reported to the board on Feb. 13 that their December activity included hundreds of direct contacts and large-scale holiday assistance for families.

Miss Gessler presented monthly figures and said the numbers she shared covered December only. In that month the centers distributed 312 weekend snack packs to students, logged 298 contacts with families (in-building or phone contacts, excluding home visits), completed 16 home visits and provided holiday assistance to 310 families, she said.

Gessler described the December activity as driven by holiday assistance work: "November, December is mainly all holiday assistance," she said, noting the centers coordinate Thanksgiving baskets, angel trees and local donations. She also told the board that community members often call to ask what individual centers need and the centers respond with specific items by grade level (for example, socks for younger children and gym shorts for older students).

Board members praised the centers' outreach and described them as an important local safety net for students and families.

Gessler said the figures are produced from coordinator reports sent monthly and are intended to give the board and school staff a clearer picture of center activity.