The little things can have a huge impact for families facing crises. Here’s what one neighbor is doing to bring the power of community to a new level.

The Giddens School is only 0.2 miles from Wellspring Family Services. Were it not for the rush of traffic on Rainier Avenue, Giddens students might be able to hear playful squeals from the Wellspring Early Learning Center (ELC) playground, and vice versa. The proximity of our locations, coupled with a shared investment in the youth in our community, has sparked a beautiful partnership.

Giddens is a preschool through 5th grade independent school. Their vision is to ground their students’ educational experience in equity and justice, inspiring children to actively engage in bettering their world.

Motivated to further connect our communities, Giddens School forged a three-way partnership with the Backpack Brigade and Wellspring. Every week, Backpack Brigade provides culturally appropriate meal packs for Wellspring’s ELC preschool students. Giddens students then write notes and affirmations to accompany the nutritious snack packs ELC students take home each weekend.

“Giddens School truly appreciates the opportunity to partner with Wellspring Family Services. Giddens students not only have an opportunity to create words of affirmation note cards for their fellow neighbors, but also understanding the Wellspring mission. This is an opportunity for our students to see how an organization is truly making an impact in people’s lives and taking action for the greater good. We are thankful for the partnership,” said Rajeswari Sachdeva, Assistant Head of School for Justice Equity & Inclusion, Giddens School.

In addition to the gift of weekend snacks, ELC students know their neighbors wish them joy and happiness as noted by one of Wellspring’s Family Support Specialists: “The cards from the [Giddens School] students are colorful, with beautiful drawings and affirmations. Our parents have expressed their gratitude and have mentioned how sweet the cards are from the students.”

We appreciate the continued support that Giddens School and Backpack Brigade provide to Wellspring families.