District staff outline partnership with National Giving Alliance to supply new clothing and care packages to students in need

District staff proposed a partnership with the National Giving Alliance to provide new clothing, hygiene items and school supplies to students identified by school staff as in need.

A board member asked how agenda item A5 would work. A staff member, addressing the board, described the process: donors such as Gap and Old Navy supply new clothing, school social workers or designated staff complete a referral form, the alliance compiles care packages and the district arranges pick-up and distribution. "We get a report from one of our social workers or anybody in the building. Then the form gets filled out and they come together and they pack up little care packages," the staff member said.

The staff member told the board the partnership can start immediately after required paperwork is completed and that the district plans to name specific contact people and use a dedicated referral email address to track requests, modeled on the district's McKinney‑Vento referral process.

Board members specifically asked whether the initiative was limited to students covered by McKinney‑Vento protections; staff replied the program is not restricted to McKinney‑Vento students and "it's for anybody that needs it," though the staff member said the district will maintain referral controls to avoid duplicate requests. The staff member also noted logistical requirements: district staff must pick up donated packages from the alliance's location.

Why it matters: The partnership would add a source of new clothing and supplies for students experiencing instability or material need, complementing existing school-based "victory closets" and hygiene supports. The board asked staff to finalize logistics, designate contact points and formalize referral procedures before full implementation.