Nov. 12-20 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week.
According to the Feeding America Network, an estimated 5,200 children in Clarke County will face food insecurity this year alone. And, according to the 2022 Athens-Clarke County Housing Inventory Count and Point-in-Time Count (HIC/PIT) Report, 283 individuals locally are homeless on a typical night. It is estimated that more than 20% of the Clarke County population experiencing homelessness are children.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law established to help support the enrollment and success of homeless students. The CCSD McKinney-Vento Program aims to remove barriers and improve educational opportunities for children in transition.
So far this school year, the CCSD McKinney-Vento Program, formerly called HEP (Homeless Education Program), has served 337 students from 155 families in need across the district. Common barriers that students in transition face include a lack of reliable and consistent transportation, limited access to health care, lack of educational continuity, lack of dedicated personal space after school, and food insecurity. The McKinney-Vento Program seeks to remove these barriers by providing school uniforms and supplies, offering reduced or waived fees for the CCSD After-School Program and other after-school activities, arranging and coordinating transportation to and from the school of origin, and providing referrals for outside services and resources, including emergency food housing assistance.
CCSD continues to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, and, in addition, school social workers and counselors can coordinate referrals and provide additional resources for eligible families across the district.
If you believe your student and your family may be eligible for the McKinney-Vento program, please do not hesitate to contact one of our district liaisons:
Dr. Angela E. Pope
Lead Social Worker
706-546-7721, ext. 79410
popea@clarke.k12.ga.us
Chrystal Gillis
Director of School Social Work
706-614-3745
gillisc@clarke.k12.ga.us
Jessica Reynolds
Resource Assistant
706-546-7721, ext. 79620
reynoldsj2@clarke.k12.ga.us
