Homeless seniors from local schools receive gift baskets from American Legion Auxiliary Unit 186

Patti Motzer, Children & Youth Chair, American Legion Auxiliary, Charles E. Murray Unit 186, learned on Monday, June 14, 2021, that there were fifteen homeless seniors, 10 males and five females, included in the 2021 graduating class from our five local high schools.  We subsequently learned that there was no plan to provide any assistance to these students.  Any support we could provide was welcome; however, all items needed to be brought to the Hernando County School Board by Wednesday, June 16, so they could be delivered and distributed to the affected students prior to school ending on Friday, June 18.  Patti and Unit 186 President Lynda Anderson immediately answered the call for help, shopped for and put together fifteen baskets containing filled backpacks, lap robes, socks, towels and washcloths, personal items and snacks for these students.  Thank you to our Unit 186 Executive Committee for approving funding for this project, and thank you to West Tampa Memorial American Legion Auxiliary Unit 248 and Mary McColgan for generously donating baskets, lap robes, socks and personal items.  We were able to deliver the baskets to Shanika Figueroa Rodriguez, MSW, Coordinator of Students and Families in Transition, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education – Title IX, Hernando County School District.  We congratulate these students and wish them well in their future endeavors.