As Haight’s 80 Acts of Kindness Campaign for 2017 continues, the Los Angeles office is collecting school supplies and shoes to benefit the School on Wheels Inc. organization (www.schoolonwheels.org). School on Wheels, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993 by Agnes Stevens, a retired schoolteacher, who understood the importance of education to homeless students – and the unique challenges they face. It is the only organization in Southern California dedicated exclusively to the educational needs of this fragile population.
Today, hundreds of volunteers work one-on-one with children whose homelessness prevents them from getting the academic stability and help they desperately need. The heart of School on Wheels’ programs is the volunteer tutors who come from all backgrounds and professions, with a shared goal – to reach out to a child, to teach, to mentor, and assist in their educational life.
The mission of School on Wheels is to enhance educational opportunities for homeless children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Their goal is to shrink the gaps in their education and provide them with the highest level of education possible. Their program serves as a consistent support system to homeless students at a time of great stress and fear. They bring the message to their students that they are cared about and important.
They do this by offering:
- One-on-one weekly tutoring
- School supplies
- Assistance in entering school
- Help in locating lost records
- Scholarships
- Guidance for parents in educational matters for their children
- A Learning Center located in the heart of Skid Row
