Students in Need Get Strong Start on School Year with Record-High School Supply Donations

Press Release
August 25, 2009          

   
Denver, CO -- Arapahoe House, Colorado’s leading provider of affordable drug and alcohol treatment services helped students in need get a strong start on the 2009-2010 school year.  The nonprofit held their highest-grossing school supply drive to date raising over $5,000, including supplies for 175 students. Thousands of school supplies will go to adolescents in Arapahoe House treatment programs and the children of recovering parents.

“The first days of school will be a little easier for kids in need who will be prepared with much needed school supplies,” said Arapahoe House CEO David Murphy.  “Most of the kids in our programs come from low-income families.  Providing extra stability to get a strong start on the school year makes a big difference.”

Many of the school supplies went to New Directions for Families, an Arapahoe House program that provides residential treatment for women with substance use disorders and associated behavioral health conditions, and their children. In addition to receiving treatment, women learn parenting skills, budgeting, family health skills, and are assisted in locating jobs and developing a career plan aimed at long term self-sufficiency.

“The kiddos of recovering moms here at New Directions face tough obstacles, including a great deal of instability,” said New Directions team leader Rachel English.  “Seeing their faces light up when new backpacks, markers, rulers and notebooks arrived was priceless.”  

“It’s reassuring in a tough economy to see individuals, foundations and corporations give to families who might not be able to afford new school supplies,” continued Murphy.  “It’s one more step towards normalcy for families who’ve had their lives turned upside down because of chemical dependency.”

For their in-kind donation generosity, Arapahoe House would like to thank CoBiz Financial Inc. and Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints in Littleton.

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