By MATTHEW MEYER | Reporter
The holidays are a special time for students at Palisades Charter High School: a much-needed reprieve from the stresses of class work to spend some festive time at home with family.
But while students are more than happy to leave campus behind for a few weeks, there’s an active community of parents and faculty that never stop thinking about the needs of PaliHi’s student body—whether school’s in session or not. That’s why they started Pali Cares, a program designed to provide, “for the mind, body and soul of [PaliHi] students.”
The idea was simple: Before Thanksgiving break this year, the school accepted anonymous donations from community members and faculty to purchase gift cards to places like Subway, Target, Ralphs and CVS. Then they discretely distributed the cards to students in need, with a special emphasis on combating food insecurity.
About 34 percent of PaliHi students rely on free or reduced lunch each school day; for these students, a gift card for groceries or a quick, nutritious meal over the weeklong break would go a long way toward keeping them happy and healthy.
The wave of Thanksgiving donations was just the beginning of what will become a year-round program. Librarian Andrea King—a nine-year PaliHi faculty member overseeing the project—told the Palisadian-Post that the program would remain flexible to target the developing needs of students as the year progresses. For each donation period (one before winter, spring and summer breaks) teachers and counselors will help guide the donation organizers to students in particular need.
While food insecurity will remain a focus, the program will also open to gift cards that help with purchasing school supplies or simple household necessities, and the donations won’t be limited to students on the free and reduced lunch program.
“We’re a widespread community, we’re focusing on any kid at Pali who’s in need at the time,” King explained. “Sometimes things flux in the middle of the school year, [a student] is in transition and money becomes kind of tight.”
King added that PaliHi faculty and parents have always taken an interest in the needs of students, referencing a time that counselors pooled money together to purchase the dress shoes and pants one student needed to walk at graduation.
Now, good deeds like that will be streamlined and focused through the Pali Cares programs—and community members can get involved as well.
Palisadians can pitch in by dropping off gift cards in a sealed envelope to the PaliHi library, or by writing a check to the Palisades High School Booster Club with “Pali Cares” in the memo section and mailing it to the school’s main office. They can also visit the Booster Club’s holiday party on Dec. 13 to contribute (location to be posted on PaliHi’s website).
If community members are
interested in volunteering their time, they can contact program organizers directly at palicares@palihigh.org.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
