Springfield Promise Neighborhood is committed to serving families within our Promise Zone schools. During this time of social distancing and closure of schools, Springfield Promise Neighborhood has changed how we are reaching out to our community and the families we serve. While we are working remotely, our team has begun to develop digital tools to help students and parents as they adapt to doing school at home.
- This includes creating mentoring and enrichment groups on Google Classroom, the platform the School District is using for instruction.
- Our PromiseCorps members, who provide literacy enhancement to students in Pre-K through third grade, have begun creating digital lessons and additional materials that can help students at home.
- We have helped support food distribution at DreamCity Church with HOPE Ministries, where over 1,100 individuals are served weekly.
- We have distributed more than a dozen grocery and gas cards to families from Lincoln Elementary and Perrin Woods Elementary.
- Families have expressed their deep gratitude, either for support for transportation, or to order a grocery delivery if transportation is not available. More families will be helped in the weeks to come as school closures continue.
- Our community garden site on Linden Avenue is being prepared for spring planting. We are working to develop policies and protocols to keep volunteers and families safe as they start family garden boxes and public garden beds.
The need for summer enrichment and academic practice will be more important than ever, now that schools are closed for the rest of the academic year. While we are still waiting for further developments on social distancing practices and essential businesses, we intend to provide some kind of summer programming for students who will have missed the enrichment, support, and relationships that can keep them on track. Last year, we served over 100 students in the summer and over 400 students during the school year and we look forward to being with our students and families again.
Aaron Clark | Community Engagement Administrator
Springfield Promise Neighborhood http://www.springfieldpromise.com
