If you could, stop for a moment and picture the holiday season. For most of us, the holidays are a celebratory time to gather amongst family and friends to spend time together under a warm roof and catch each other up on the excitement of the previous year.
For thousands of young people in Frederick County though, this time of year is incredibly difficult. Either alone or with family members, youth in your community are faced with the significant shift in weather with none of the proper materials to successfully stay warm, as well as the general increased insecurity in their ability to meet housing and food needs.
As a community, it is up to us to make this stop.
Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP) of Frederick County is partnering with over 50 businesses across Frederick County collecting a variety of hygiene products. Each item collected goes to support a student through the school year. A single hygiene product can make a difference for a student. Don’t believe us?
Each time a student goes in for an interview, the interview starts with a smile and a handshake. A smile can embrace confidence and increase their chances of success. For most of the community, getting a toothbrush and toothpaste, is a simple errand from the grocery store. The ability for a student to get resources, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, is helping them get one step closer to success. These hygiene products serve over hundreds of students around Frederick County, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support from our community to help these students succeed. To learn more about how to help, please refer to our Homeless for the Holidays page here.