For some kids, coronavirus school closures a true burden. Nonprofit aims to ease that

In the midst of state-wide school closures, many students have taken their learning home and are participating in online schooling. Some are even in a traditional home-school setting without the aid of the internet.

Being at home has not stopped some students’ need for a little assistance that would get them through life at school.

The Renton-based nonprofit organization InvestED is working overtime to provide that extra aid to over 600 schools throughout Washington via a donation drive on its website.

“From a community standpoint, these are our kids. These are kids in our community that are quietly battling against odds,” said InvestED executive director Joyce Walters. “We should care, and we should step up.”

Under normal circumstances, InvestED acts as a program that helps support students that might need help buying supplies, clothing or even ASB cards.

Last school year, InvestED helped 23,664 students with over 31,000 transactions on $927,323 in over 600 schools across the state.

“There are two areas that we feel we can help and that is with nutritional needs, which we have been doing all along,” Walters said. “And also as schools move to extended learning or online learning, there are students out there who need additional assistance.”

The program works when a teacher, coach, counselor or any adult that works in the administration identifies a student that may have extra needs outside school.

The educator gets in contact with InvestED and creates a discreet transaction to facilitate any needs by said student. There is no paperwork done by the student, and everything is done as discreetly as possible.

The organization came into existence based on the idea that small acts of kindness could change lives, a philosophy still at the heart of InvestED today. The nonprofit was founded in 1963 by Saul Haas, one of the original founders and owners of KIRO radio and television.

One day as he was dropping off his daughter at Garfield High School, he noticed a student without a coat. His daughter explained to him that she didn’t wear a coat because she could not afford one.

“That bothered him, so he started the organization,” Walters said. “He asked two things of the principal: to give immediate support to the students when they need it, and no red tape, just make sure they get what they need.”

Nearly 60 years later, that philosophy is still fulfilling needs of children, especially in these trying times as they are out of school and at home.

Currently, InvestED is running a donation drive to help students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. With the resources available to the organization today, 100 percent of the money donated goes back to the students.

“What we do have a need for is people to donate whatever they can, whether it is a dollar, $10, $100, $1,000 or more,” Walters said. “We’re serving about 25,000 kids a year now, and our goal as an organization is to be able to serve 50,000 kids a year. Any amount people can give us to support kids is very, very helpful.”

InvestED is contacted daily by educators, even with the quarantine effect put in place. One coordinator who works with the organization is using donated money to buy groceries for students on a weekly basis.

The nonprofit helps with technological needs as well. For instance, if there are students that need specific apps to help them learn, InvestED can and will grant money to buy them.

“There may be other needs that are out there, too,” Walters said. “I love what I do. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to support the educators that are out there on the front lines.”

The students served by InvestED will be among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. They are students who rely on schools for breakfast and lunch. Many of the beneficiaries of InvestED qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.

“Often times, the real safety net is their school where they can get resources,” Walters said. “Educators are working around the clock to make sure that the vulnerable kids and the vulnerable families are getting the support they need.”

On average, a $30 donation is able to help out one student.

“It adds up very, very quickly. We’re not asking people to stretch further than they can,” Walters said.

To help donate, visit https://www.invested.org/pages/student-support-1.