Local Businesses Spearhead Effort to Help Homeless Students

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The Centralia School District is expecting the number of homeless students within the district to increase this year. To ensure the demographic of students is prepared, one local organization has donated thousands of dollars to provide school supplies and backpacks prior to the start of the school year.

On Tuesday morning, the Centralia branch of Windermere Real Estate stuffed well over 100 backpacks with all the needed supplies for K through 12 students.

Max Vogt, owner of the Centralia branch since 2001, said as part of the real estate company’s mission, it decided to focus specifically on homeless students.

This year, Windermere purchased $2,000 worth of supplies.

Through its nonprofit foundation, a portion of each agent’s commission is funneled into the charitable foundation. At the end of the year, the foundation distributes the money back to the local branches to spend as they see fit within the community.

Typically, the foundation focuses on homeless issues and underprivileged school children, so Vogt said the project this year was a perfect mix of the two goals.

“This just seemed like the perfect blend for us,” he said.

Many of the backpacks are donated through Costco, while Windermere helps purchase more heavy-duty bags for the older children.

Other downtown merchants in Centralia also held school supply drives, although those items are not specifically designated for the homeless population.

In the 2015-16 school year, the district had 150 homeless students. According to Pat Soderquist, homeless liaison for the district, a student is considered homeless if he or she are doubled up at another person’s home, is in foster care, lives out of motels and hotels, are in a shelter, or lives in a car, RV or is camping.

Soderquist said information provided by the Department of Commerce shows an increase in the homeless population locally, bringing more of the demographic into the school systems.

Even despite one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Washington, Soderquist said, the county is a popular destination for those looking for a new start.

“People are relocating to Lewis County. They are moving from California and all over the place because they hear that Lewis County is a small community, and a cheap and inexpensive place to live,” she said. “These people literally drive up with their kids in tow, have no job, have nothing.”

Once a child is identified as homeless, Soderquist helps them get school supplies. Breakfast, lunch and transportation is provided by the district.



“The district helps to eliminate the barriers and help them get back on their feet,” she said.

The student remains in the program for one year, even if their status changes due to federal mandates. The required timeline helps ease the family’s transition.

“It is all about the students,” she said. “They didn’t have a say. They’re dealt the cards they are dealt and we, as educators, just help the kids.”

The supplies provided through Windermere and the other downtown businesses greatly help the students who have a lot of other issues on their minds, Soderquist said.

“We want those kids just to be ready,” she said. “They are worried enough about where they are staying at night.”

She said by far the largest issue the families face is finding housing, adding that it took one of her clients six months to find a place to live.

“We can take care of the food, we can give them food stamps, we can give them school supplies, but I can’t build them a house,” she said. “That’s my biggest challenge.”

Vogt said next year Windermere hopes to double its contribution, raising the amount spent on school supplies to $4,000.

Laree Neely, the foundation representative for the Centralia office, said the real estate company’s effort is important to ensure the student’s success.

“Lewis County is a low-income area and the kids deserve as much as anyone else,” she said. “It’s going to be people like us to make the difference in whether these kids get what they need to start school.”

That will help ease the students into the start of the school year without added pressure.

Another pilot program, targeting all students and not just the homeless population, will provide those in need with a backpack full of snacks.

The program will be implemented this school year with the help of three local organizations.

The backpack full of easy-to-make treats like macaroni and cheese, and peanut butter and Ritz crackers, will help ensure no child goes hungry on the weekend, Soderquist said.