Fernley, Nevada – “We are very grateful that our community has been contributing daily to help our students,” said Fernely Resource Coordinator Maria Saavedra. “The first month of the year isn’t over yet and we’ve already provided clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and other items for 25 students, and we are looking forward to helping many more!”
Maria Saavedra and Norma Espinoza, Healthy Communities’ school-based Resource Coordinators for the Fernley area, help connect students and their families with resources in the region such as dental and health care, housing assistance, shoes, warm clothing, food, mental health care, etc. They also collect hygiene products and keep classroom supplies such as pens and notebooks on hand. In addition, they maintain a clothing closet where students and their families can find much needed warm clothing, shoes, hats, etc.
How to Donate: If you’d like to donate new hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, soap or feminine hygiene products, and/or new or gently used clothing, please contact Maria at msaavedra@lyoncsd.org at or Norma at nespinoza@lyoncsd.org
The Clothing Closet: Maria and Norma noted that “donations of clothing, shoes, hats, etc. are carefully organized in order to provide the best experience for our families.”
The clothing closet closet presently includes clothing for both boys and girls from newborn to 24 months all the way up to sizes 14-16, plus a range of adult sizes.
Shoe sizes range from infant to adult sizes.
In addition, the clothing closet accepts donations of purses, blankets, scarves, hats, dresses – anything parents and students are likely to need.
Resource Coordinators in Lyon County Schools: The nonprofit Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties sponsors resource coordinators who are based in each school system across Lyon County. They help connect students and their families with area resources offered by local, regional and other groups (such as clothing, food, housing, dental services, counseling, support groups, etc.) School-based Resource Coordinators, who have extensive training and are also certified Community Health Workers, include Shannon Juntunen (Yerington/ Smith); Norma Espinoza and Maria Saavedra (Fernley); Patty Sanborn (Silver Springs/ Stagecoach); Terri Gahr (Dayton/Mound House/Silver City area). HCC’s AmeriCorps members also assist the resource coordinators with various school-based projects.