CAP’s School Readiness helps 543 families with back-to-school needs

Back to school means another year of learning, reading, writing and arithmetic. It also means back-to-school expenses. Clothing – which can run into literally hundreds of dollars – lays an extra burden on Appalachian families who are struggling with day-to-day expenses.

That is why the Christian Appalachian Project created the School Readiness program. The program is for families who are participants of CAP’s Partners program, a program that helps low-income participants return to school to obtain a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), associates or a bachelor’s degree. Families who participate in the Families with a Future – a program that helps position themselves toward achieving self-sufficiency – may also participate in School Readiness.

The School Readiness Program is twofold: each participant is allowed up to $60 to buy needed school supplies, clothing and other items for each member of the family that is enrolled in an education program, from age kindergarten to returning non-traditional students.

School Readiness participants may also participate in the clothing distribution held every year for the twelve distressed counties that School Readiness serves.  At the clothing distributions the participants may obtain new and used clothing and additional school supplies that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

To Erica and Chris Shepherd, the program is not only helpful but also necessary. Both are enrolled at Prestonsburg Community College, where they are majoring in Criminal Justice. They also have a nine-month old son to take care of. With the money they get from CAP to buy school supplies, there will be that much more for household expenses, milk, diapers and other daily needs that a family of three have.

“[CAP’s School Readiness program] helps out a lot, “ said Erica, of Spurlock. “With the baby and having to spend so much on milk and diapers, the program helps out so much. We’re like most parents; we’d rather give it to our kids and do without.”

This year’s School Readiness program will have helped 543 families get back to school and take their first steps toward beginning and/or continuing their education.