Lending Closets Provide Essential Support to Unhoused Taos Students

The number of unhoused youth enrolled in Taos’ schools has more than doubled since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In addition to struggling with unsafe and unstable housing situations, most of these students and their families also lack consistent access to basic resources like nutritious food, clean clothing, personal care items, and reliable transportation. A district employee reached out to LOR with an idea: establish three lending closets stocked with items to assist these families during their most challenging moments and help them get back on their feet. Funding from LOR will be used to purchase shelving and initial equipment to establish the three school-based lending closets and launch the volunteer program that will maintain them.