BOISE — Not every kid in the Boise School District has access to the basic necessities. Thankfully, there's an app for that now.
"Sometimes it might be something as simple as a calculator that they can't afford on their own," said school social worker Scott Crandell.
The district partnered with the "Purposity" app, where social workers post the needs online for their students. Already, nearly sixty needs have been met.
“Clothing, backpacks. I’ve seen teen mothers that have children they request diapers, baby clothes, a crib, a high chair. So there’s been a number of creative needs that have been published and already met," said Crandell.
Once the app is downloaded, you select "Boise" as the location to help students in the Boise district.
"I click on that one, and I can read a little bit more about it. The mom's trying her best, but she doesn't have the resources for t-shirts," said app user Jennifer Thornfeldt.
Jennifer, one of the app's local donors, was a student at Borah High School in the Boise district in the 80s and 90s. She saw back then and now how other students need a little help.
"At that point, I didn't have the wherewithal to care, but looking back on it, knowing there were probably kids struggling on a day-to-day basis, it breaks my heart," said Thornfeldt.
Social workers work with students for social-emotion needs and support services for their entire family. Eleven social workers and one counselor at Marian Pritchett are submitting the needs district-wide.
"They're able to focus more on their academics, rather than worrying, 'what am I going to wear to school tomorrow because I only have one pair of pants that don't fit,'" said Crandell.
The Purposity app has already been a hit in the West Ada School District, and it's used across the country, so you can support students out of state as well.
