Los Cerritos Elementary School received a generous donation consisting of 400 boxes of food, personal care items, and distance learning technology in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The donations were made possible by Menlo Church through the auspices of the Feed the Children organization.
"We're grateful for the generosity of our friends at Menlo Church," said Los Cerrritos Elementary Principal Kennelyn Celeste. "Our families received the care packages and are making use of the technology for remote learning at home."
South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) canceled all in-person classes and school events on March 13.
Since then, the district has tried to facilitate distance learning by identifying families who lack internet access or hardware such as laptop computers.
"The coronavirus pandemic has really highlighted the extent of the digital divide in our society," said SSFUSD Superintendent Dr. Shawnterra Moore. "With traditional, in-person, classroom instruction put on hold until the end of the school year, we are concentrating on ensuring that our underserved students do not fall behind with the shift to at-home learning."
Using a technology access survey in English and Spanish, the district has tasked the technology services department with distributing cellular hot spots and laptops to families who need them, so they can connect with teachers and engage in distance learning.