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Community schools coordinator details food and family services, district schedules April 2 resource fair
Summary
Iris Flores, community schools grant coordinator, described outreach work including monthly food distributions and plans for a Family Resource Center; district staff announced a resource fair at Freedom Elementary on April 2 with roughly 30–39 vendors and site booths.
Iris Flores, the district’s community schools grant coordinator, told the board about community-engagement work funded through the district’s community-schools grant. Flores summarized partnerships, food distribution and plans to increase family-facing services, and urged the district and town to collaborate on a Family Resource Center for clothes, food, and other supports.
Flores said the district coordinates monthly free-food distributions and partners with local organizations including the California Community Food Bank, Woodlake Family Resource Center and Visalia Family Resource Center. She told the board that the program currently serves between about 100 families per month and that at a recent distribution the operation served roughly 350 families; she said roughly 100 families indicated they learned about distributions through ParentSquare. Flores said the Family Resource Center concept (which staff discussed informally during planning) aims to provide clothing, food, interview/outfit assistance and other immediate supports on site.
Public commenters who participated during the meeting praised district community events and student engagement programs. Former student and community volunteer Isabella Dela Cruz described food drives and community interaction; Farmersville High School student Adeline Moran Garcia described being a grand-prize winner in the student art contest and said the contest has helped increase student engagement and visibility for student work.
District staff Chris Juarez (MTSS coordinator) and Alma Espinosa (expanded learning/after-school director) announced a district resource fair planned for April 2 at Freedom Elementary from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. They said the fair would include roughly 30–39 partner booths representing higher education (Fresno State, UC Merced, COS), United Way, Project Aware and other community agencies, plus each school site setting up an informational booth. The event will include STEM booths, summer STEAM sign-ups and opportunities for clubs to fundraise; staff said the flyer will be distributed via ParentSquare, social media and printed packets, and that the district expects multiple community partners to attend.
Why it matters
Flores framed the community-schools work as a transformation strategy: connecting families to services and building student leadership, civic engagement and participation. The resource-fair announcement provides a near-term opportunity for families to see district and community services in a single event.
Clarifying details
- Food-distribution cadence and partners: Flores said the program serves "between 100 families" monthly and at a recent distribution served about 350 families; partners listed included California Community Food Bank, Woodlake Family Resource Center, Visalia Family Resource Center and local businesses and nonprofits. (source: Iris Flores) - Family Resource Center: Flores said the district has been exploring a Family Resource Center site and described services it would offer; she noted the district currently refers families to partner resource centers because a local center is not yet fully established. - Resource fair: District staff announced the event for April 2, 4:30–6:30 p.m. at Freedom Elementary; they said approximately 30–39 vendors had signed up and that each site will have an informational booth.
Quotes
"I am the community engagement coordinator," Iris Flores said, describing her role as the district’s community-schools grant coordinator and outlining partnerships and programs.
"Our goal is to bring families here so that they can see all the services that we offer here in our district," MTSS coordinator Chris Juarez said when describing the April 2 resource fair.
Ending
The board heard multiple public comments in support of community-schools activities and student engagement programs; staff said promotional materials for the April 2 resource fair will be distributed through ParentSquare, the district website and printed packets to students.
