Odyssey Elementary Family Resource Center helps families start the school year

OGDEN — For some families, preparing for a new school year means more than buying school supplies. At Odyssey Elementary in Ogden, families can find support with some of the basics they need, including food, clothing and other resources, through the school's Family Resource Center.

The center is designed to serve as a one-stop resource for families in the school community. "We have everything from a full kitchen to a food pantry, a dining room, living room space, showers, laundry facilities, clothing closet," said Sonja Davidson, principal of Odyssey Elementary. "We're just trying to be a resource hub for families."

The center reflects the school's focus on supporting students both inside and outside the classroom. "I think the need is here in this school," said Destiny De Herrera, community school coordinator for the Odyssey Family Resource Center. "One reason is our school is the boundary school for the local homeless shelter, so any elementary-aged students who live there attend here."

Odyssey Elementary is a Title I school, and all students receive free breakfast and lunch.

School leaders say the need for additional resources has grown throughout the community. "I have worked in Ogden School District my entire career as an educator," Davidson said. "I have seen the need for places like this increase."

Davidson said that need continues as students get older, with teen centers also providing resources at local high schools. "A lot of our families are coming with some barriers. They are coming with some challenges, and we realize that when those barriers are in place, it is hard to get your students here to school," Davidson said.

The goal of the Family Resource Center is to help remove some of those barriers so families can get the support they need and students can focus on learning.

Families and community members who want to support the center can find information about donating through the Ogden School Foundation's website*.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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