Partnerships
Prepare for Success, Howard County Public School System, and Community Action Council of Howard County
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A formal three-way partnership was formed in 2010 among Prepare for Success (PFS), Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), and Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC).
PFS is responsible for the operation of the program, including forming relationship with area businesses to support the program, fundraising, the collection and purchase of all supplies, volunteer coordination, assembly, and distribution.
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HCPSS stresses its partnerships as a means for strengthening and enhancing the quality of education and helping keep the system among the best in the nation. The Partnership Office helps to coordinate our interface with the school system. HCPSS is the single point of contact to coordinate the allocation and distribution of supplies. The Public Personnel Workers and school-based counselors and administrators are the interface between our supplies and the students. HCPSS students and staff also volunteer for PFS in various roles, such as assembling backpacks and distributing them to schools, playing a critical role in the annual work cycle. We also receive support from HCPSS in terms of storage space and assembly locations for our busy back-to-school months when our volunteers put together the bulk of our school supply kits for the coming year.
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CAC's mission is to diminish poverty, enable self-sufficiency and advocate for low-income families and individuals. CAC has become the administrative home for PFS. All our monetary donations are sent through CAC and our donors benefit from their 501(c)(3) charitable status. CAC also helps with the delivery of supplies.
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Howard County Library System and Columbia Association
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Our summer school supplies collection drive has become a local tradition. Many families have actively modeled charity for their children by shopping together for school supplies and including extra purchases for those in need. We thank our partners who make space available for our collection boxes, all decorated by the creative students in HCPSS after-school programs. Boxes can be found in all Howard County libraries, Columbia Association (CA) Village offices, and select CA facilities.
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