The Neighborhood Kids:

 

Is focused on meeting basic needs for homeless and at-risk students. These basic needs include food, clothing, transportation and funding for hotel stays for families or single parents with kids as they are awaiting for availability in local homeless shelters. The Neighborhood Kids works closely with shelters and social workers as a first responder to provide these basic needs until they can be linked up with a larger organization.

 

“Project Backpack”

 

For thousands of homeless and at-risk students in AISD, the ritual of shopping for school supplies can be a matter of dread rather than excitement. The list of needed supplies may be overwhelming and unattainable. For the past two years The Neighborhood Kids has carried out “project backpack”. We partner with Austin Independent School District and OAK Lifestyle to provide backpacks full of school supplies at the annual Back-to-School Bash. The Neighborhood Kids purchases the supplies and backpacks at discounts for bulk quantities, and packages and distributes them by volunteer labor. The Neighborhood Kids handed out over 2,700 backpacks in 2013, and still had to turn away more students in need.

 

We raise funds for this event all year long, and we welcome any help from individuals and businesses to help support education for homeless and at-risk students. The Neighborhood Kids is part of an all-volunteer organization First House, Inc. dba “The Neighborhood” with no paid staff or overhead. Your donation goes directly to help provide the kids with a positive experience in the beginning of each new school year.