Blake Knoblauch was nine years old when Horizons Elementary principal Gloria Hunter identified him as a leader among his peers and invited him to help her lead assemblies. It was a big deal to a little kid who would become a community leader and the new executive director of Lacey South Sound Chamber.

Horizons Elementary was brand new that year and adopted a unique instruction model that grouped two grade levels in the same classroom. Leaders from around the state visited the campus, and Mrs. Hunter enlisted Blake to give tours. “Superintendents and school board members wanted to see the new model in action, and thanks to Mrs. Hunter, that meant I got to interact with them even as a third-grader,” Blake explains.

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The 2020 Thurston County homeless census found that 995 individuals experienced homelessness – living unsheltered or in emergency or transitional housing. This is a 24 percent increase over 2019 and is the highest count since the homeless census efforts began in 2006.

Thurston County participates in a statewide annual “Point in Time Count of Homeless Persons” referred to as the “homeless census.” This census helps determine the number of homeless people in the county and its causes and assists in developing a comprehensive strategic response to the issue. School Districts report the number of students (pre-kindergarten through 12th grade) that experience homelessness during the school year to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Last school year, 655 North Thurston Public School students were homeless. 

Through Student Assitance Grants, NTEF can often assist families with housing deposits, rent payments, and other financial assistance to ensure students in the North Thurston School District have adequate and safe housing.

Want to help?
Consider a donation to NTEF to help students and families in the district avoid homelessness. In the past, many of our donors have donated government stimulus checks if they are in a position to do so.

Need Resources?
All students experiencing homelessness have rights to immediate school enrollment, priority in certain preschool programs, free meals at school and the right to obtain information regarding free services and transportation services. For additional information, visit https://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/homeless.

We recently were able to help a family and received this note: 

I want to show my family’s appreciation for the North Thurston Education Foundation’s help when my car broke down, and we were homeless. Getting my kids to school so they didn’t have to think about our living conditions was all that I prayed for, and God answered by sending the wonderful people of North Thurston Education Foundation to help our family. We were able to have heat in the car so the kids weren’t cold during the winter. I could also get the kids to their school performances for orchestra, band and choir. The new clothes helped so much.

Your Foundation has done so much to help our family achieve our children’s education goals during this year. We were already homeless when we lost everything in a hotel fire. You all helped to restore smiles to my children’s faces. I’m truly thankful to God for you all. God bless you all for all your generosity and hard work but most importantly, the love and compassion you showed my family and others in our time of need.

Thank you again so much!  

Here is a note from a family were able to assist with housing deposits: 
Thank you so much for the help with our deposit; it helped me, my wife, and four children get into a home that we could actually call home. It has made a big change for our family, and our children are so grateful not to have to sleep in our SUV, a shed, or someone else’s home.

Hi Mike,

This is one of my favorite visuals of how NTEF has recently supported The Family & Youth Resource Center.  We had no pants available in our Kids Closet back in November, but thanks to the generosity of NTEF, this need was fulfilled!  Thank you, NTEF. We are so grateful for the continued support!

Jennifer Gould

North Thurston Public Schools, McKinney Vento Student Navigator – Timberline High School

I’m Mike Jones, Executive Director of the North Thurston Education Foundation. We are so thankful for all of our donors who have helped support students and families over the last year during COVID-19, which has presented additional challenges for students in the district. We are incredibly proud of the work of the educators and all North Thurston Public Schools’ staff, who have gone above and beyond to support students during this time. We could not do this important work without your support and dedication to our students. Our students and families now – more than ever – need support to remove barriers and enhance opportunities for success.

Thanks for reading our latest news! Contact me for sponsorship opportunities, questions, suggestions, or to share a personal story about NTEF’s impact on your school, family or the community. Thanks for your continued support in removing barriers, enhancing learning, and enriching lives for North Thurston Public Schools’ students.

We Wish You a Safe and Healthy 2021,

Mike Jones, Executive Director

Phone: 360-790-6548

Email: [email protected]