In early August, Kaleidoscope Showcase Site Families Together hosted their annual drive for school supplies. Families Together supports Wake County families moving from homelessness to stable homes by providing short-term apartments for families at risk of being separated in shelters, among others.

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During the back-to-school event, school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks, and colored pencils were displayed to provide kids the opportunity to browse and pick out their favorites as if they were shopping in a retail store. Families Together partnered with a local church group to provide food and volunteers for the event. Games and activities were set up to encourage relationship-building and interaction between families. 

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Kaleidoscope is working with Families Together to create more opportunities for these types of relationship-building activities. Within the short-term apartments, Kaleidoscope has helped put plans in place to add benches, soft flooring and toy storage to the front porches to encourage kids to play and families living next to each other to interact together. Additional plans include extending the basketball hard surface area, printed informational pamphlets on children’s development, and workshops on parent stress and children’s challenging behaviors.