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SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) has launched Family Resource Centers at five school sites.
“At County Schools, our educators and staff understand we must support the whole child,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “In addition to providing students with an exceptional education in the classroom, we are continuing to find innovative ways to deliver health services, nutrition and home support.”
The Family Resource Centers are available to students and their families Monday through Friday during school hours at Bob Murphy County Community School, Tri-City County Community School, Barbara Phelps County Community School, David Stine Chaffey West County Community School and Victorville Education Center.
Resources include The Market, which provides boxes of nonperishable groceries to students and their families.
From April through August, SBCSS provided nearly 2,000 boxes of food.
“The food boxes that they had over COVID was wonderful because they came with laundry soap, shampoo, conditioner, cleaning products, toothbrushes, band-aids, stuff that we couldn’t afford at the time, so it helped out tremendously,” said Melissa Bell-Elie, mother of a 15-year-old student attending Bob Murphy County Community School.
She says her family continues to take advantage of the food boxes offered at the school sites. Each month, the contents of these boxes’ changes.
“It makes a big difference, at least a 30% difference in the household as far as what I don’t have to financially pay for,” said Bell-Elie.
SBCSS partnered with Hazel Health to provide students and families with quick access to equitable telehealth care. Families are able to have their blood pressure and temperature checked in-person and may even secure same-day virtual doctors’ visits from school or at home.
In addition, each campus is equipped with a washer and dryer, which students and families may use for their laundry.
The Family Resource Centers will also provide expanded learning opportunities after school at each site, once a week.
Selected students may participate in an academy that focuses on leadership training and substance use prevention education so that they can serve as peer leaders on campus.
For more news and information, visit the SBCSS Newsroom and follow us @SBCountySchools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. #transforminglives.
