Edhat Staff
Thanks to a generous donation from the local branch of Union Bank, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara and its nonprofit affiliate 2nd Story Associates presented approximately 350 school-age children with backpacks and supplies for the coming school year. The special “Tools for School” event took place Aug. 12 at Presidio Springs, 721 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara.
While the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara provides innovative housing and services in the community, 2nd Story Associates helps fill gaps to help local families succeed.
“We want to see residents do well in all aspects of their lives, including in the classroom,” said Rob Fredericks, Executive Director and CEO of HACSB. “The families of many of these children wouldn’t be able to afford these necessary supplies on their own, so we’re grateful to Union Bank for making this heartwarming step to success possible.”
For each participating family, children in grades Kindergarten through 12th chose from a range of age-appropriate backpacks filled with school supplies. This year, 2nd Story Associates also partnered with First 5 Santa Barbara to expand “Tools for School” to include children aged 5 and under, and provide preschool education information and resources.
“Tools for School” is part of 2nd Story and the Housing Authority’s new Growth, Readiness and Development (GRAD) initiative, which is aimed at encouraging academic success and high school graduation among low-income youth through a variety of collaborations and programming. While the event is designed to assist families in preparing their children for school, it also helps families discover the Housing Authority’s youth enrichment programs and other local programs and resources for youth and families.
The public is invited to make donations to support the “Tools for School” campaign, which helps fund educational materials and supplies such as upgraded computers for Housing Authority’s after-school centers. Donations can be made securely online.
About 2nd Story Associates
Second Story Associates is a nonprofit corporation created in 2007 for the purpose of funding and developing affordable housing and related social services for the benefit of low-income families, seniors and disabled members of the Santa Barbara community, including clients of the City of Santa Barbara Housing Authority. Click here for more information.
About The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is a local public agency created for the purpose of providing safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes, through a variety of federal, state, local and private resources. Since 1969, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has developed and/or secured over 3,400 units of affordable rental housing for Santa Barbara through a variety of federal, state, local and private funding sources. Please visit the website.
