Lightening the Load for Students Experiencing Poverty

One type of diversity that is often overlooked is socioeconomic diversity, and the holiday season is a great time to keep that in mind.  It is easy to focus on the joys that the holiday season brings if your family has a stable income that is sufficient to provide for your needs and wants.  For families experiencing poverty the holidays can also bring a lot of stress.  There can be worries about being able to afford higher utility bills in the colder months, pressure to purchase gifts, and even stress about providing food during the weeks that children are out of school.  Adult education program staff can provide information about community resources to help lighten the load for students at this time of year, or partner with community organizations to bring resources on site.  What resources in your community do you connect students to for help with food, utilities, warm coats, or free or reduced-cost gifts?  Are there food banks that will provide holiday baskets to families, or backpacks of food for kids to sustain them during school break?  Is there a local clothing closet that can provide warm winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves? What utility assistance programs exist in your community?  Can they provide representatives on site to assess student eligibility for assistance?  Is there a "toys for tots" or a similar program in your area that can help families gain access to gifts?  In what ways can our programs help lighten the load for students experiencing poverty?