PYLUSD teachers union coordinates holiday event and donations for McKinney Vento families

Each holiday season, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) teachers and staff members “adopt families” from the District’s McKinney Vento program.

McKinney Vento is a federal program for students who are living in transitional situations such as doubled or tripled up with other families for economic reasons, or living in homeless shelters, campgrounds, or cars.

The District’s teachers union, Association of Placentia-Linda Educators, known as APLE, always plays a large role in this effort with the direction of Community Outreach Coordinator, Marquise Hawley. Marquise serves as a math and physical education teacher at El Camino Real High School.

On Monday, December 16, holiday cheer was in abundance at the APLE office in Anaheim which was transformed into “Santa’s Workshop.” McKinney Vento families arrived to participate in arts and crafts and take a picture with Santa, as well as collect their gifts that had been generously donated by schools throughout the District. It was an emotional event at times for families, but also one filled with cheer and a strong sense of holiday spirit.

The following PYLUSD schools adopted an entire McKinney Vento this holiday season:
Glenknoll
Mabel Paine
Melrose
Morse
Rose Drive
Travis Ranch
Van Buren
Bernardo Yorba
Valadez
Esperanza
El Camino Real
El Dorado
Valencia
Yorba Linda

Way to go, PYLUSD teachers and staff!