EMMETT, Idaho — La Costa Mexican Restaurant in Emmett is teaming up with the Emmett School District to help support homeless students and families in Gem County. The fundraising effort aims to bring hope, warmth, and essentials to those who need them most.
WATCH: La Costa Mexican Restaurant and Emmett School District team up!
On Tuesday night, La Costa Mexican Restaurant filled tables with a purpose. From 5 to 7 p.m., 15% of sales went to the Avenues for Hope fundraiser.
"I would do anything to help out this community, you know, it was last-minute, but you know, during the holidays, so we try to do the best we can," James German said.
German is the general manager at La Costa Mexican Restaurant in Emmett.
The Emmett School District's partnership with Avenues for Hope provides support for students without stable housing. The program offers family food boxes, backpacks with school supplies, sleeping bags and blankets, hygiene supplies, and winter clothing items.
Angela Ramos is the McKinney-Vento coordinator, multilingual learners program coordinator, and migrant programs coordinator for the Emmett School District.
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"McKinney-Vento is a federal law, and it has to do with making sure that there's housing stability," Ramos said. "Better said, educational stability for students who are experiencing homelessness."
She says homelessness in the area doesn't always look obvious.
"Probably the most common thing that we see is that we have families who are doubled up, so they are displaced from their housing, and in order to keep a roof over their head, they move in with another family," Ramos said. She explained that a family without their name on a lease, for example, would fall under McKinney-Vento.
Homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act includes various living situations beyond what people might typically imagine.
"When under the guise of McKinney Vento, that doesn't necessarily mean what you may think it would mean that someone is out on the streets, you know, on sidewalks, things like that," Ramos said.
She explained that there are different criteria for homeless populations. "So what that entails is things like people living in substandard conditions, for example, a family may be living in a shed."
"We have had families who are living in tents, living in cars... living in hotel rooms," Ramos said.
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The Emmett School District currently has around 150 students who meet the criteria for homelessness.
"I can tell you that the last I looked, we had 152 identified children who fall under the criteria of being homeless under McKinney-Vento," Ramos said.
Out of approximately 2,500 students in the district, that represents roughly 6% of the student population, though the number fluctuates throughout the year.
Students experiencing homelessness face daily challenges that impact their education.
"Sometimes, they may have to wait to take a shower, you know, if they don't have access to water regularly. So, going to take a weekly shower somewhere, hauling their things with them, personal hygiene items, if they don't have electricity, they may be, you know, using things like flashlights and cell phone lights, you know, when it gets dark out," Ramos said.
"Having a place to sit down and do your homework, you know, if you are in a car or an RV and you're with a lot of people living with you, you don't always have the space or the means to sit down and have privacy and do your homework," Ramos said.
Ramos has a personal connection to homelessness through her father's experience after a traumatic brain injury from a car accident.
"My father... he passed away about 3 years ago. And that was really kind of my first personal experience with a family member related to homelessness," Ramos said.
Her father, an Army veteran and former homeowner, lost his independence and housing stability after the accident.
"He started, kind of sofa surfing. He'd stay at my sister's place and my place here in town sometimes, sometimes with friends, and, sometimes he, you know, he couldn't remember how he got to where he was, and so he couldn't find his way home... and he'd end up sleeping outdoors," Ramos said.
The experience taught her not to make assumptions about people experiencing homelessness.
"You can't assume that there's not homelessness in your area just because you don't see it like you might see it in the more urban areas. I think a lot of it is behind closed doors," Ramos said.
La Costa Mexican Restaurant is eager to help its community.
"Yeah, you know, tough times, you know, we'll do the best we can to help out the community, and I know this community loves us, and we support them, and they support us," German said.
Idaho Housing and Finance is matching every donation, doubling the impact.
"Idaho Housing and Finance has been doubling all of our donations. So, any amount that you give, they will be matching it," Ramos said.
"They can donate. If they donate to the cause, the funds are going directly to support children who are identified as experiencing homelessness. Their funds will help tremendously," Ramos said.
The fundraiser runs until December 31. People can donate through links on the district's Facebook page.
"I can tell you, after my experience with my father and my experience here working with the program, I have been looking at places where I could go to help out on Christmas Eve and Christmas... for organizations that are helping to provide meals for the homeless for Christmas Eve and Christmas. So anything that they (the community) can do to help out our homeless community members, especially this time of year, I'm sure that it would be greatly appreciated," Ramos said.
