What will I do as a School Representative?

 

You will serve an advocacy role and promote collaboration between schools and FHF including:

• Raise awareness of FHF services with your school’s administrative leaders, PTO and families. 

• Be a voice for families in crisis and those less resourced or struggling by sharing what is happening in your school community with the FHF volunteer team & leaders.

 

Note that this role can be shared or an individual role. We ask for a volunteer commitment of 1 school year. This is a framework of responsibilities, but we know and recognize that our work is with humans, thus, this role can and should be everchanging to meet your needs and the needs of those we are serving. 

 

ASAP: 

• Introduce yourself and provide your contact info to the school principal and family support worker and/or school counselor.

• Find your school equity data here. (Total number of students, demographics, free/reduced lunch, etc.)

  • This can be a starting discussion point. Inform the school counselor/ family support worker that this data will help drive the work of FHF.

• Ask what general needs they are seeing right now in your school

  • Essential needs, such as utility, food or other assistance

  • School supplies, tutoring, etc.

  • Other

• Share this information with us by filling out our Fall Needs survey.

 

** Both of these tasks are critical to setting the foundation for the collaborative work we hope to continue. **

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At the next PTO meeting (or via email):

• Introduce yourself to PTO as the FHF school rep (if not yet established). Explain to the PTO what FHF does (you can use this awesome video created by our co-president Khalilah). 

  • Explain that we have been supported by generous donors including some PTOs contributing to support the needs of ALL families across the county. 

  • Find out how you can get FHF information out to your school community, either via PTO newsletter, principal communication or whatever works best in your school.

  • Discuss the school equity data you’ve found and let the PTO know that FHF assists families with utilities and other basic needs via our website.  

  • Are there other school-specific community needs that are currently unmet?  

    • Discuss the ways your PTO already supports families.

      • Do they fund snacks or school supplies?

      • Is there a coat or holiday gift drive?

  • What other ways do they already or plan to support families?

• Bring info from the PTO meeting back to FHF. If you are unable to make a meeting, feel free to email us at familieshf@gmail.com. Together, we will identify gaps in resources at schools and figure out how to make sure family needs are met at EVERY school. 

 

Monthly (January, Feb, March, April and May): 

• Attend FHF meetings or read notes and share any needs for volunteers or gaps identified with your school. 

  • Let families know we have a newsletter so they can stay in the loop about meetings and community resources to support families ​

• Attend PTO meetings and/or share FHF fundraising requests and lobby for your PTO budget to support the work. 

  • Ahead of each PTO meeting, check in with your school’s counselor/family support team via email. We will provide a survey each month with questions to go over.