Warm clothing, meals, and housing are even more essential this time of year. Your gift to the Right Now Needs fund supports the immediate, basic needs of Seattle Public School students and families.
At the Alliance, we have been advocating for and supporting students in Seattle Public Schools since 1995. That work has evolved over the years, and I am excited to share the impact of one of our current, transformational programs: the Right Now Needs Fund (The Fund).
The Right Now Needs Fund is a unique program aimed at addressing the immediate basic needs of Seattle students and their families. The Fund ensures students can fully participate in classroom activities by covering the costs of warm clothing, meals and housing that are not included in individual school budgets but are necessary for students to thrive.
I also want to formally introduce myself. My name is Zeynab Abdulgadir and I am the Director overseeing the Right Now Needs Fund. I have been at the Alliance since 2017 and have been working with the Fund since its inception when it launched in 2018 in partnership with Amazon, Seattle Public Schools and other community partners. I am excited to be leading the Right Now Needs Fund and steering this work into its next chapter.
Last school year (2022-23), we fulfilled over 13,150 instances of support, bringing the all-time total to 68,000+ instances of support. Your gift ensures this critical support can continue.
We are heartened to have been able to respond to so many requests, however, there are many more that need to be fulfilled. We rely on our caring community of supporters like yourself to help us increase the impact and expand the reach of the Fund.
The Right Now Needs Fund is always adapting to meet the needs of our students and families. We have made remarkable growth in accessibility this past year by providing translated information to students and families, marketing materials to educators and school staff, and new connections with community-serving organizations for family referrals. We discussed the culmination of this work and the Fund’s impact as this year’s key conversation at the Convening Seattle Community Luncheon featuring leaders from Amazon, the Seattle Foundation and Seattle Public Schools. You can view the recording (38 minutes) below.
Your gift to the Right Now Needs Fund provides support for immediate basic needs like:
- Warm Clothing: The Fund provides winter clothing to students in need, ensuring they stay warm and comfortable during the cold months.
- Meals: Nutritious meals are essential for a child’s growth and development. The Fund helps ensure that no student goes hungry.
- Housing Support: For families facing housing instability, we work to help them directly and connect them with resources to find stable housing solutions.
As the winter season approaches, I ask you to consider making a gift to the Right Now Needs Fund to support students and families across the city when they need it most. We count on your continued support and partnership in making the Fund resoundingly impactful again this school year. By working together, we can ensure that every student in our district has the opportunity to thrive and can focus on their education without the burden of unmet basic needs. A gift of any size goes a long way.
You can make a gift to help us reach our goal of $10,000 before the winter season by making a gift online here. With supporters like you, we are already well on our way to meeting this goal this season!
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to the Alliance for Education and Seattle Public Schools. Together, we have and will continue to make a significant difference in the lives of our students and families furthest from educational justice.
In Partnership,
Zeynab Abdulgadir
Director, Right Now Needs Fund
Alliance for Education