Fundraiser Launched For Families Of Area Elementary School

OAKLAND, CA — East Oakland's Esperanza Elementary School announced Monday the creation of a crowdfunding campaign for families of the school who have been significantly affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

About three-quarters of the school's families have lost their jobs due to the shelter-in-place orders by state and local officials. Money raised during the crowdfunding campaign, created through the website GoFundMe, will support the purchase of groceries and other necessities for the school's students and their families.

"Esperanza is just the first of many cases we expect to see of people in our community needing help," Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said. "While we are all focused on ensuring that we keep our own families safe from the pandemic, we also need
to ensure that all members of our district family are able to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table."

All of Esperanza Elementary's roughly 350 students and their families qualify for free and reduced-price lunches through its designation as a Title 1 school. Since the campaign's creation five days ago, more than 100 donors have contributed nearly $9,000 in all to help families at the
school, with a goal of $10,000.

People can donate to the campaign at gofundme.com/f/esperanza-family-support.

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• ALSO SEE: 9 Activities To Keep Your Housebound Kids Entertained

--Bay City News/GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner