Gilroy
– A newly formed Glen View Alliance of five community agencies
received nearly $2.3 million to help low-income families with young
children become school-ready.
Gilroy – A newly formed Glen View Alliance of five community agencies received nearly $2.3 million to help low-income families with young children become school-ready.
The five-year, $2.285 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation was announced Thursday, after Alliance members spent a year planning how they will target under-served families and children younger than 5 living near Glen View Elementary School.
The alliance includes Go Kids, Inc., Rebekah Children’s Services, the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA), Santa Clara County’s School Linked Services, and Gilroy Unified School District.
“The idea behind all of this is that these families struggle each and every day, so if we can take these services to them and improve the quality and care and language skills and economic status of the family, then they’re going to be ready for school,” said Larry Drury, executive director of Go Kids, Inc., which is spearheading the Alliance’s effort. “It’s really just taking our services into their family room.”
Go Kids is hiring an outreach worker and a school-based liaison who, along with MACSA representatives, will go door-to-door in the neighborhood surrounding Glen View, west of Monterey Road and south of Sixth Street.
Drury said door-to-door is probably the slowest way to find qualified families, but the need in the Glen View area is exacerbated by the fact that people there often keep to their homes.
The Alliance will let residents stay at home while still receiving much-needed services, including English and parenting classes.
“It is making sure people are aware of what child development is all about, and how do we improve what we’re doing,” Drury said. “We’ll give them education, material, supplies.”
Throughout the five years of the grant, the Alliance hopes to create more of a neighborhood atmosphere in the Glen View area, both to bring residents out of their homes into the community where more services are available, and to finish what they’re starting.
“One of the things that we’re worried about is sustainability,” Drury said. “Hopefully (after five years) we’ve created a strong, large-enough association of neighbors that they will be able to carry this on.”
In an announcement of the neighborhood grant, John Williams, Community Liaison Program Officer for Knight Foundation in Santa Clara County, said the effort is an important step to involve Knight in addressing the unique needs of the South County area.
“The Alliance offers a vibrant and holistic approach to improve school readiness for children in low-income families,” Williams said.
Alliance members received a $40,000 grant last year to hire a coordinator and plan for using this grant, Drury said.
