Knight's scholarship fund donates $60K to help homeless students in Washtenaw County
A $60,000 donation from the Ray & Mary Knight Scholarship Fund will benefit Washtenaw County students experiencing homelessness or a temporary living situation.
Ray & Mary Knight Scholarship Fund President Monica Knowles presented a check to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s Education Project for Homeless Youth.
The Education Project is a grant-funded program in partnership with Ozone House. The project helps homeless students enroll, attend and succeed in school. It serves students up to 21 years old, including those living in shelters, motels, cars and abandoned houses, as well as those living doubled-up temporarily with friends or family.
The program works closely with all nine public school districts and the public school academies of Washtenaw County. During the 2017-18 school year, nearly 1,200 children and youth in Washtenaw County experienced unstable housing, according to the WISD.
“The students we see have extremely complicated lives and complex needs,” Education Project Manager Dawn Espy said in a news release. “This generous donation will help ensure students receive the resources they need not only to be successful in school, but also what they need to just feel like kids, regardless of their situation.”
The Ray and Mary Knight Scholarship Fund was established in 2016 in honor of the business’ founders, focusing its efforts on providing education-related funding to children in need.
“We are proud to support the Education Project for Homeless Youth,” Knowles said in a news release. “We are excited this will help make a difference in the lives of local students. We firmly believe all students should have access to academics, arts, and athletics, regardless of your family or housing situation.”
This article was originally posted at MLive.