Help Needed Right Now To Fill The Shelves At Rochester School

There are amazing things about our town and we have some great people that live here.  Mayo Clinic is a powerhouse in multiple ways and is getting ready to grow even more in downtown Rochester.  We just got an amazing waterpark area...and families loved it!  We've got some empty storefronts but we have quite a few businesses and restaurants that are fabulous and give back to our community in multiple ways.

If you walk away from the downtown area and start to pull the layers away of our town, you will see that some of our "neighbors" are fighting each day just to survive it.  The day-to-day struggles and challenges that some are experiencing would bring you to your knees.  Some of these human beings are even sleeping in their cars, bouncing from one couch to the next.  Soap, showers, and clean clothes are top of mind but not always possible.

And no...I am NOT talking about the homeless that have been banned in Rochester.

All of what I just said above is about kids who are in our school system right now.  And one school is asking for your urgent help.

How many kids in the Rochester area need help right now?

According to the Rochester Public School district, about 100 students have indicated that they are experiencing homelessness this year, but that number is expected to rise.  At the end of the 2023/2024 year, there were about 600 students in the Rochester Public School district.

While those numbers above may be shocking, the reality is that THOUSANDS of kids in our district need help in some way, some who are experiencing homelessness and some who are not.  Food, shelter, clothing, shampoo, shoes, school supplies, snacks...whatever you need every day, that is what they also need.

Community Rooms at our Local Schools in Rochester, Minnesota Help Students Keep Coming to School

A community room helps to remove barriers for students and keep them coming to school.  And the ALC, also known as the Alternative Learning Center, located at 37 Woodlake Drive near Whistle Binkies on the Lake, has a Food Pantry and Resource Room on-site where students can come in and take whatever they need.

The Shelves Are Looking Pretty Empty at the ALC in Rochester, Minnesota

You know how we help out and show our support for the football teams when they are having a fundraiser?  Well, this isn't a football game but the students at the ALC need that support as well.  Look through the list of items below, add them to your shopping list and drop off items any day that school is in session from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm.

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