Imagine trying to get to school each morning without shoes, or with shoes that don’t fit. Maybe you have to wear the same clothes day after day because they are the only ones you have. Thousands of kids across Maricopa County don’t have to imagine that experience of being without clothes or shoes; they face it every day along with many other obstacles that impact their ability to go to school.
Thanks to the Assistance League of Phoenix, with support provided by Maricopa County Human Services Department, several thousand children were able to go to their classrooms this spring wearing new shoes, new clothing and with other items they needed to help them achieve success in school.
From January through March 2022, the Assistance League of Phoenix was able to provide two full new outfits, including shoes and backpacks filled with school supplies, to 3,998 kids at no cost to their families. The program, federally funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), was part of $14 million in grants allocated by the Human Services Department to 82 nonprofits serving residents throughout the region.
While the new clothes, shoes and backpacks may not solve the greater challenges the children face, they do remove one barrier for the kids to have the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience life with confidence as part of a school community. It is one of the many ways that the caring staff of Maricopa County Human Services Department and its trusted community partners are making a meaningful difference in the lives of county residents.
For more information about the Human Services Department and its programs, visit Maricopa.gov/HSD.