This March Keene Housing Kids Collaborative wrapped up a successful TLC Monadnock crowdfunding campaign to help kids access opportunities in our community -- opportunities that cultivate a successful adulthood.  We wanted to share these updates with you to inspire our community and cheer Kids Collaborative on!

We send gratitude and hope to all Keene Housing Kids Collaborative (KHKC) supporters.

Since mid-March, when the realities of Covid-19 forced community activities for kids to close indefinitely, and school switched to remote learning, KHKC worked to re-imagine our role as connector for kids living in Keene Housing.

• We initiated the Kids Connectivity Project in April, to ensure that every student living in a Keene Housing household has a stable and reliable internet connection at home and a device they can use independently on which to connect to the internet and do their schoolwork.
• We paid several past due internet bills for families so that they could re-connect their internet. We have so far brought several internet accounts current and purchased 8 Chromebooks ($300 each) and distributed them to families, allowing them to return devices on loan from the school district. Purchase of Chromebooks for students in Keene Housing households will allow distribution of school district Chromebooks to students living in struggling households who do not live in Keene Housing, broadening the availability of school Chromebooks to more students who need them.
• Also this spring, we started a Zoom tutoring program, connecting Keene Housing students with community volunteers to help with schoolwork via Zoom. This program was very successful and provided a level of flexibility in scheduling for both volunteers and students that made it easy to connect volunteers and students without the need to travel or meet in a designated spot. Zoom tutoring program will continue through the 2020-21 school year.
• We continue to connect kids with the limited community activities available this summer: MoCo day camp for kids under 9 years old, YMCA day camp, Stonewall Farm day camp, NHDI summer intensive, and True Hope horseback riding.
• We are coordinating with Jen Dassau of Feeding Tiny Tummies to distribute weekly food boxes to Keene Housing families. Residents can pick up boxes at 3 property sites in Keene and 2 in Swanzey. So far, 53 families with 120 children have signed up to access the boxes. This is a huge increase over the # of kids who took advantage of the sit down, bagged meal USDA summer meals.

Be well and keep in touch.