A total of $1.1 million was awarded to St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES three years ago to distribute food, clothing, and supplies to students in need in local districts.
BOCES officials hope the program will continue after the current three-year grant finishes this summer.
The supplies are funded by a federal three-year McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Population Grant.
“The students in our grant do not have adequate, regular, or fixed nighttime routines and are oftentimes in transitional housing in hopes of a permanent placement,” said Brooke Santamont, BOCES Supervisor of Instructional Resources.
“They are enrolled as McKinney-Vento in their school district and have access to the M-V supports,” she said.
“The folks who work with these students complete McKinney-Vento supply request forms to let us know students’ needs, from hygiene items, food, school supplies, clothing, bedding, and towels,” said Santamont. Santamont wrote three grants for St. Lawrence County, with six districts per grant. Each of the three grants provided $125,000 per year, totaling over $1 million received over the three-year grant.
This year is the third year of the program, and BOCES will be reapplying for another grant, with a stamp of approval from the state.
SLL BOCES has received the grant for the past 16 years.