FCEF Family Assistance Fund
FCEF supports more than 300 students in our community—a 37 percent increase since the 2022-23 school year—who are in need of additional assistance, funding language instruction and basic needs like food, clothing, and school supplies. Since 2018, FCEF has provided more than $248,000 in support for families in the Little City.
"The Family Assistance Fund allows our social work team to respond immediately, in real time, and provides advocacy, comfort, dignity, and grace when they are needed most in life," says Rebecca Sharp, Executive Director of Special Education and Student Services. "Sometimes it's purchasing a bed so a child can rest well for school or a gift card for extra food when times are tight. The Falls Church Education Foundation and the community's support of the Family Assistance Fund has allowed our team to focus on meeting the needs of families, rather than fundraising or seeing families do without when there are gaps in systems."
During the 2023-2024 school year, the fund has been used to purchase:
Please consider a donation to our Family Assistance Fund, which helps ensure that our students are ready to learn every day they attend school. Our goal is $35,000 per year in support. To give, please click here and select "Family Assistance Fund" in the drop-down menu.
"The Family Assistance Fund allows our social work team to respond immediately, in real time, and provides advocacy, comfort, dignity, and grace when they are needed most in life," says Rebecca Sharp, Executive Director of Special Education and Student Services. "Sometimes it's purchasing a bed so a child can rest well for school or a gift card for extra food when times are tight. The Falls Church Education Foundation and the community's support of the Family Assistance Fund has allowed our team to focus on meeting the needs of families, rather than fundraising or seeing families do without when there are gaps in systems."
During the 2023-2024 school year, the fund has been used to purchase:
- grocery gift cards over the holidays and for the weekend backpack program
- welcoming kits for new families to our schools
- backpacks and school supplies
- snacks for during and after school
- clothes, especially for events like band/chorus concerts, homecoming/prom, graduation
- toiletries
- medical expenses to help offset large prescription costs
- transportation, mainly for medical appointments since most families do not have cars
- mattresses
- extracurricular activities for students in the community
- headphones
- alarm clocks
Please consider a donation to our Family Assistance Fund, which helps ensure that our students are ready to learn every day they attend school. Our goal is $35,000 per year in support. To give, please click here and select "Family Assistance Fund" in the drop-down menu.