Fernley Coordinators connect students and their families to local resources

The Fernley Reporter

School-based Resource Coordinators for the Fernley area, Norma Espinoza and Maria Saavedra, help connect students and their families with resources such as dental and health care, housing assistance, shoes, warm clothing, food, mental health care, etc. They also collect hygiene products and keep classroom supplies such as pens and notebooks on hand. In addition, they maintain a clothing closet where students and their families can find much needed warm clothing, shoes, hats, etc.

“We are very grateful that our community has been contributing daily to help our students,” said Fernley Resource Coordinator Maria Saavedra. “The first month of the year isn’t over yet and we’ve already provided clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and other items for 25 students, and we are looking forward to helping many more.”

If you’d like to donate hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, soap or feminine hygiene products, and/or new or gently used clothing, please contact Saavedra at [email protected]  or Espinoza at [email protected]

The Clothing Closet: Espinoza noted that “donations of clothing, shoes, hats, etc. are carefully organized in order to provide the best experience for our families.”

The clothing closet presently includes clothing for both boys and girls from newborn to 24 months all the way up to sizes 14-16, plus a range of adult sizes.

Shoe sizes range from infant to adult sizes.

In addition, the clothing closet accepts donations of purses, blankets, scarves, hats, dresses - anything parents and students are likely to need.

Resource Coordinators in Lyon County schools: The nonprofit Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties (HCC) sponsors resource coordinators who are based in each school system in Lyon County. They help connect students and their families with resources offered by local, regional and other groups. The Resource Coordinators have extensive training on many topics and are also certified Community Health Workers.

They include Norma Espinoza and Maria Saavedra (Fernley); Shannon Juntunen (Yerington/ Smith); Patty Sanborn (Silver Springs/ Stagecoach); Terri Gahr (Dayton/Mound House/Silver City area).

HCC’s AmeriCorps members also assist the Resource Coordinators with a broad range of school-based projects. For more information, call Healthy Communities at 246-7550 or see healthycomm.org.