Shop 4% Friday on March 26th to Support Children of the Valley
On the 4th Friday of every month, you shop and, together, we give! This year Skagit Valley Food Co-op has partnered with Skagit Community Foundation to make 4% Friday twice as nice with Double Donation Days! Skagit Community Foundation will be matching all of our 4% Friday giving for 2021.
Now, when you shop 4% Friday Community Shopping Days, your purchase will have twice the impact: on Friday, March 26th, we're donating 4% of sales to Children of the Valley, and the Skagit Community Foundation will match our total to double the donation!
Children of the Valley (COV) is an afterschool program that serves students in the Mount Vernon School district. Their mission is to provide a positive environment every day after school for children most in need from the community. COV is a referral-based program, referred by the student’s school counselor and/or teachers based on academic and personal needs. COV’s purpose is to break the cycle of poverty within each family they serve by empowering students to DREAM BIG and to pursue their educational goals by graduating high school and obtaining post-secondary education or a degree.
Since the pandemic closed schools last March, COV had to pivot their services to serve the huge need for child care of essential workers within the community. They serve elementary-age students most in need of academic and personal support every day after school. They shifted their program last April to provide essential workers with full-time support for their children during the day. COV served students full time during the day in order to provide them a positive place to receive academic support from April through June 2020.
How will your shopping trip help Children of the Valley?
Last Fall COV expanded their services to two sites to serve more students, continuing to offer their students of essential workers, academic and personal support during the day with their remote learning. COV will use 4% Friday Funds to purchase much-needed outdoor equipment and enrichment supplies for the kids to use during outside play when they’re not participating with online remote learning.
Due to social distancing and CDC requirements, kids are not allowed to share equipment. Children of the Valley is currently operating two sites, serving 46 kids in total of which both sites are in need of outdoor games, balls, jump ropes, outside chalk, bubbles, tennis rackets, soccer balls, basketballs, and more. Part of their mission is to provide their students with opportunities they do not have, and right now, outside play is very important for these children to be active and disengage from screen time as they take breaks from their remote learning. COV didn’t anticipate opening a second site last fall which now requires more equipment and supplies.