Nonprofits in Immokalee have been working collaboratively to bring resources to the community during the pandemic. Because distance learning will remain in effect for the rest of the school year, efforts are being made to collect school supplies for families in need.
Frank Rincon of the Benison Center, said distance learning has been challenging for a lot of kids in Immokalee because many of them live without basic comforts like air conditioning.
“To be in structures where there is no air conditioning, where you have quite a few people living in that structure, there’s a lot of distractions,” Rincon said.
The Benison Center works with other Immokalee based agencies to identify needs and bring resources to the community.
“In talking to several of the agencies that work with children here in the community, school supplies are one of the biggest needs that we have seen come to the surface,” Rincon said.
Rincon said the Benison Center has some supplies, but nowhere near enough to be able to accommodate the approximately 8,000 school aged kids in Immokalee.
“Sharpeners, scissors, erasers, markers—anything and everything that children use on a regular basis that’s what we’re needing here in the community,” Rincon said.
The Benison Center is accepting donations for school supplies and hopes to be able to start distributing school supply kits by the end of the month.
