San Diego families in need have several resources to draw upon. Services for low-income kids in San Diego are designed to meet children's needs for quality medical care, to help them reach their loftiest educational goals and to give them a taste of generosity and material pleasure, by delivering their holiday wish lists.
The Nativity Prep Academy is a completely free private school for low-income Catholic students. Its admission process is strict and the curriculum is rigorous. The school emphasizes social responsibility and good work habits, and take an active role in the student's lives even after middle school. When students leave Nativity Prep, often for private high schools, Nativity Prep raises money for their scholarship, purchases bus passes and uniforms. It helps students deal with transportation, fund extracurricular activities and even offer tutoring to deal with their academic needs. The school is run entirely on donations, with the exception of the government's free lunch program income.
To apply for a scholarship to Nativity Preparatory Academy, students must prove financial eligibility, be likely to graduate their middle school and in the 5th-7th grade, pass a proficiency examination, be interviewed privately and with their family, spend the day visiting at Nativity Prep and sign a statement of commitment.
Nativity Prep Academy
3233 Market Street
San Diego, California 92102-3318
(619) 544-9455
www.nativityprep.org
The San Diego County Dentists Society keeps a list of dental offices that offer services to low-income families. Some offices have a sliding scale, some have funds available for providing free services and some are under contract with the state's Medi-Cal program, a division of Medicaid. San Diego families in need of low-income allowances for dental services can contact the SDCDS for a copy of the list, or print it from the society's website.
San Diego County Dental Society
1275 West Morena Boulevard, Suite B
San Diego, California 92110
(619) 275-0244
www.sdcds.org/general/low_income_clinics.aspx
SAY San Diego offers free school supplies for children from low-income families, as well as Christmas presents, diapers, clothing and food.
All year long, SAY collects school supplies and backpacks from individuals and corporate sponsors. The school supplies are stuffed into backpacks and distributed to low-income kids in San Diego schools.
At Christmas, low-income San Diego families get presents. Their wish lists are given to volunteers, like a company, another family or a nonprofit organization, who "adopts" them and collects gifts on their behalf. The Adopt-a-Family program has helped thousands of low-income families.
Diapers, formula, clothing and food are also collected for the benefit of San Diego families in need. Contact SAY to learn how to participate in any of these programs, either as a donor, a volunteer or a recipient.
SAY San Diego
8755 Aero Drive, Suite 100
San Diego California 92123
(858) 565-4148
www.saysandiego.org
