Culver City School District Announces Sponsor-A-Family Program

CULVER CITY, CA — For the second year, Culver City Unified School District will offer a sponsor-a-family program to help district families during the pandemic and holidays, district officials announced this week.

District officials expect more than 300 families will be part of the program this year, twice the amount of families that participated in 2019.

"Culver City Unified School District recognizes that the holiday season can be stressful for families who are most in need," officials said in a news release. "Again, this year, CCUSD School and Family Support Services is coordinating various district-wide efforts to support our CCUSD families in need during the holiday season to increase the joy and lessen the stress."

Families in the district can provide gifts for other families in need. Both families will remain anonymous.

"Prior to the Thanksgiving break, sponsor families will receive the list of wishes and needs for each member of one family," officials said. "Our request is that the sponsor family purchase at least one wish and one need for each member listed."

All gifts will be dropped off at the District Office on Dec. 10 and 11, officials said. School and Family Support Services staff will distribute the gifts on Dec. 14 and 15.

Last year CCUSD invited 120 families to participate and 114 families participated, district spokesperson Geoff Maleman told Patch.

"This year we invited 300 families and expect more families will participate," Maleman said. "Both years, families were asked to indicate a few wishes and a few needs for each family member with the ask that sponsors fill at least one wish and one need. The needs are often clothes, shoes, coats, and household items."

Culver City PTA also continues to facilitate the backpack program, which distributes food to families facing food insecurities each week. That Backpacks for Kids program currently serves more than 430 CCUSD families.

Families can sign up to help make the holiday season special for another family by completing the form: https://forms.gle/9WgjCrcvYoS2....

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