Helping Students Find Stability with DREAM Backpacks
One of the many ways that the DeSoto County Dream Center (DCDC) reaches out to support students and families in the community is through our DREAM Backpack program. Thanks to the relationships DCDC has with Title 1 schools throughout the county, school staff are able to connect students and families with the Dream Center when they identify anyone facing food insecurity. This support can be crucial for the nourishment of students who receive breakfast and lunch while attending school, but who may experience hunger outside of school hours. DCDC sends students home with backpacks filled with meals and additional resources to sustain them over the weekends.
In December of last year DCDC was introduced to a student at Horn Lake Intermediate School and his mother who started receiving DREAM Backpacks on the weekends after they lost financial support from the father.. Due to a language barrier, it was hard for the mother to find work. Thanks to the support of Horn Lake Intermediate School (HLIS) Assistant Principal, Mrs. Tymara Dunlap, we were able to help them secure emergency housing when they were evicted.
“I talk to parents and listen for key words in order to identify how best we can take care of them moving forward,” said Assistant Principal Dunlap. “There are so many resources out there to help families overcome obstacles and that is why these community partnerships are so important in making that happen,” she shared. In the case of the student Mrs. Dunlap connected us to, we were able to meet the emergency housing need, and then connect the family with transitional housing and long-term care. The goal is always building a relationship and working with families on working toward greater stability in the long-term.
Assistant Principal Dunlap shared,
“Having this program gives students something to look forward to for the weekend. It’s discrete- no one else knows it’s happening and so the students can feel good about receiving necessary resources as they bring in their backpack, it gets filled up without anyone knowing each week… It promotes relief because they know they have food to carry them through the weekend.”
Last year 130 students and their families received emergency food and resources on the weekends, care and support through the DREAM Backpack program. It’s through community partnerships like the one with Horn Lake Intermediate School and other amazing nonprofits in DeSoto County that DCDC is able to build relationships with families experiencing need, providing resources and promoting dignity through Christ.
There are many opportunities to play a role in making the Dream Backpack program possible. It costs $15 to help fill a DREAM Backpack and provide hope for a student and their family. Visit the DCDC website for more information about how you can contribute financially, donate goods through our Amazon wishlist, or volunteer.