Back to School, Already?!

We can hardly believe summer’s ending! Whether you’re preparing for your littlest one’s first day of kindergarten or sending your teens (or yourself!) off to college, getting ready for back to school time can take a big bite out of everyone’s budgets.

Over in Porterville last week, Jesse, who runs our teen club at the Porterville Family apartments, overheard some kids talking about how badly they needed haircuts before the start of school. They wanted to make a good first impression, like all kids! Jesse knew how important this sort of impression can be, especially for low-income kids from working poor families – a little thing like a great cut can be a huge boost to a kid’s confidence and help them kick off the year in the right direction. So Jesse made a few calls and found a salon nearby, Ashley’s Hair, that was glad to have these three kids in for free cuts. Jesse walked with the boys down to the salon and the boys walked out with fresh styles and huge smiles. Thanks to Maria Santizo, owner of the salon! If you’re in the area, check them out and say thanks for us!

There are so many other expenses that low-income families face: clothes, school supplies, tuition. The site Deal Crunch recently published their 2016 Back to School Guide chock full of resources for students, teachers, and families for free stuff, scholarships, and more. If you or someone you know is struggling with back to school expenses, check it out! And of course, if you’re a resident of a LifeSTEPS property and you need help, talk to your DSS or program coordinator on site! We want to help.