SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)-Ten Armory Square businesses began hosting a winter apparel donation drive for Syracuse City School District on Monday Nov. 13.
The businesses that are involved are donating all of the winter apparel to homeless students in the SCSD.
“I hope people donate middle school and high school size items because those kids are often forgotten during these holiday drives and they are just as important,” said Adam Mazzoni, the Sweet on Chocolate owner.
Mazzoni said he was shocked to hear that over one thousand students were reported homeless in the SCSD this school year and nearly half , 44%, of Syracuse children have been living in poverty.
“This has always been an issue, yet the problem definitely got worse post-COVID-19,” said Michelle Walker, SCSD guidance counselor.
Walker said the biggest issue surrounds the uncertainty of the students’ attendance, “once these students get out of the habit of not coming, it is so much harder to bring them back to the normal daily school hours.”
According to the National Center For Homeless Education, “Being homeless at least once between 4th and 8th grade, in this sample of students, was associated with lower math test scores and was also associated with 5.8 fewer days of school attended.”
Mazzoni said he is glad to encourage the kindness from other more fortunate community members and hopes Sweet on Chocolate will receive more donations.
The other 9 businesses involved in the holiday donation drive are:
- Cathy’s Cookie Kitchen
- FlynnStoned Cannabis Co.
- Forum Barber
- Galaxy Media Partners
- Marisa’s Fortress of Beauty
- Bling N Thingz by Britanni
- Best Western Syracuse Downtown Hotel & Suites
- AmeriCU (Armory Square)
- 315 Beauty Bar Downtown.
The holiday donation drive will continue until Dec. 9.
