$240,000 Grant from Whitehorse Foundation Expands Family Support Across Edmonds Schools

Funding Will Sustain Resource Advocate Positions and Launch Afterschool Pilot

Lynnwood, WA: The Foundation for Edmonds School District has received a generous grant of $240,000 from the Whitehorse Foundation to support Whole Families, Whole Communities (WFWC), a wraparound program connecting families to critical resources that helps students overcome barriers to academic success. 

This renewed funding from the Whitehorse Foundation will sustain 2.5 Family Resource Advocate (FRA) positions in district elementary schools and launch a pilot afterschool program at Alderwood Middle School. This investment will strengthen direct support for families experiencing housing instability, food insecurity, and other factors that impact their confidence, wellbeing and future opportunities. 

The Whitehorse Foundation has supported the program for seven years – since its launch in 2018. 

“The Whitehorse Foundation’s steady, heartfelt support, along with our dedicated collaborators, has helped to grow Whole Families, Whole Communities into a pillar of family assistance in the School District,” said Deborah Brandi, Executive Director, Foundation for Edmonds School District. 

Whole Families, Whole Communities connects families to critical services through a coordinated network of community partners and school-based staff. Since August 2024 alone, FRAs have supported more than 1,100 families, including nearly 200 students experiencing homelessness. From assistance with housing and legal advocacy to food access and mental health referrals, WFWC is a coordinated, compassionate response to the complex challenges facing students and families in poverty. 

The new afterschool pilot at Alderwood Middle School will provide tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, and enrichment activities, along with evening programs that support parents through ELL, parenting classes, counseling and assistance in navigating resources. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for this enduring partnership. The Whitehorse Foundation’s belief in this work has allowed us to meet families where they are, with the right resources, at the right time. Their investment has made real, lasting change possible,” said Deborah Brand, Executive Director of the Foundation for Edmonds School District.