The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Foster Youth and Homeless Services program put together a winter clothing drive taking place in six different locations from Nov. 12- Dec. 10. One location is on campus through the Delta College Athletics department, four others being in Stockton and one in French Camp.
“The County Office of Education contacted us and wanted to set up a location for drop offs on this side of Stockton. Our cheer coach works for SJCOE so she coordinated everything,” said Director of Athletics Tony Espinoza.
“We are happy to have the opportunity to partner with the county and support foster and homeless youth services,” said Espinoza.
The drive is accepting only new items, sizes infant through twelfth grade, under the categories of: beanies, blankets, coats, gloves, pajamas, scarves, slippers, socks, sweatpants and sweatshirts. The donations go to foster and homeless youth in San Joaquin County.
“You are letting them know that they have not been forgotten and that there are people in their very own community who care for them,” by donating winter clothes, according to the SJCOE Foster Youth and Homeless Services’ Instagram post promoting the clothing drive.
“People usually donate jackets, socks and blankets. We have a need for everything you can think of, anything new we can give our students… Jackets of all sizes from small to XXXL are helpful,” said Transition Specialist Pia Sellers.
“I donated some gloves and scarves that I never ended up wearing. It feels good knowing that I could help keep someone in the community warm this winter,” said second-year student Genevie Salcedo.
SJCOE Foster and Homeless Youth Services provides educational leadership, resources, and services to San Joaquin County schools.
“Our Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program (FYSCP) represents foster and homeless youth in San Joaquin county by providing educational advocacy and services. FYSCP advocates for Foster and Homeless Youth to have equal access to a free appropriate public education. We provide services year-round to youth within our one program and our fourteen school districts in San Joaquin County,” said Sellers.
Their official website said the organization is, “focused on improving the educational outcomes of wards and dependents, ages 4 to 21, who reside in licensed children’s institutions, foster family agencies, and county foster homes as well as those students and families who are homeless.”
The goal is to help improve academic achievement and attendance of these foster and homeless students while also reducing discipline problems. This program also provides additional services such as “counseling, life skills, mentoring and tutoring.”
SJCOE Foster and Homeless Youth Services doesn’t just host clothing drives to help support the homeless and foster youth in the area. Some other events and donations they have had in the past include a Thanksgiving food drive, a feminine hygiene and diaper donation drive, health fairs, and even more creative and interactive events like a pumpkin painting party.
This organization works together to help the foster and homeless youth of San Joaquin. “I have a strong desire to help others. But I am only as good as my team and those around me, it’s a team effort with events like this clothing drive, to help meet the needs of our students,” said Sellers.