This year over twelve hundred students in the Sioux Falls School District have been identified as experiencing homelessness, and that number is currently increasing.
A simple gift card in the hands of their school social worker can mean anything from them having decent shoes or hygiene items to a tank of gas to help get them to their after-school job.
Mary Gustafson is a social workers in the Sioux Falls School District. She sees firsthand every day the impact of family challenges, poverty, and homelessness on students from preschool all the way through high school. Mary, along with 11 other social workers in the school district, are passionate about what a difference it can make when the tangible need barriers in a student’s education pathway are met.
Mary says,
“The gift cards provided by Life 96.5 listeners are very helpful. With the current cost of groceries and gas, paychecks and financial assistance do not go as far anymore. We’re fortunate to have local food ministries, but transportation is often a barrier. We can use a gift card to go and purchase necessities for a student and deliver them to school or home so we know the need is taken care of.”
Throughout March, Life 96.5 is collecting gift cards in any amount to provide much-needed resources for social workers. Would you help with the immediate need of a gift card to empower a school social worker to help a student? Gift cards for Walmart, Target, or HyVee can help meet needs and keep a vulnerable student in school.
To donate gift cards for our school social workers, please mail them to Life 96.5 or drop them off at the Life 96.5 studio building. The address is Life 96.5, 4721 W 71st Street, Sioux Falls SD 57108.
Thank you! Together we can make a difference for vulnerable students in the Sioux Empire!