Thanksgiving came early for dozens of students and their families from North Area Community School, a Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) program, thanks to supportive school staff and charitable local businesses.
On Friday, November 16, nearly four-dozen North Area Community School students and their families received donated turkeys, traditional holiday side dishes, and pies. School staff, led by Transition Specialist Vickie Foston-Odabashian, organized the holiday food drive.
"We are grateful to our sponsors for their generosity during these tight economic times," said Foston-Odabashian. "It was great to see how well and how charitably the leaders of our local business community responded to help our families."
The event was made possible thanks to the following stores and restaurants:
- Brookfields Restaurant
- Costco
- Foods Co.
- Marie Callender's
- Nation's Hamburgers
- Raley's
- Safeway
- Sam's Club
- Smart & Final
- Target
- Trader Joe's
- Walmart
A group of employees from Sutter Health also graciously contributed to the food drive effort.
The North Area Community School provides students with an opportunity to continue their education and experience a significant positive personal change in their lives. Although community school programs focus on academic success, the development of positive interpersonal skills and positive social interactions with peers and adults are also important components.
Most of the students educated in community schools have been referred by their local districts as a condition of meeting their re-admittance requirements following expulsion from school. A community school's smaller environment and dedicated instructional and support staff also allow each student to benefit from a more personal learning experience.