Milford Schools Expand Partnership With SHARE Outreach

MILFORD, NH — Milford school officials and social workers visited SHARE Outreach this week as the district looks for ways to connect students and families in need with essential resources. SHARE is a Milford-based organization that helps town residents fill in the gaps for food and clothing, as well as assisting access to employment and housing resources.

"What we're really looking to do is make this system of support and wraparound services more systematic," Superintendent Jessica Huizenga said of the tour that took place on Wednesday. "This is the first of many elements, but SHARE is an invaluable community partner and expanding our collaboration will ultimately help give our students and families the tools they need to thrive."

The Milford School District has worked with SHARE in the past, but this year the partnership will expand as the schools explore ways to provide more holistic support to students and their families.

"We all have a common goal of making sure kids are living in environments where they are set up for success, and we are excited to extend and formalize our partnership with the Milford School District," SHARE Executive Director Chris Janson said.

This year school staff will shop at the SHARE food pantry on behalf of low-income students. Social workers will work directly with families to better understand their needs and connect them with SHARE and other assistance programs.

"These kinds of partnerships and services help us ensure that we're doing everything we can to support our families both inside and outside of school, and it’s our social workers who are ensuring our families are getting every kind of support that's available," Director of Special Services Mike Hatfield said. "It's important for kids to share their struggles, because we know kids can't be successful without having their basic needs — like food, shelter and clothing — met.”