Last week, the Yavapai-Apache Nation announced it is currently accepting applications for its student clothing allowance program.
“The Yavapai-Apache Nation has received funds through the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to respond to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency, including negative economic impacts,” the Nation said via a social media post June 6.
According to the post, the Tribal Council plans to distribute a portion of the recovery funds to assist households through the student clothing allowance program as follows:
- Students ages 3 through 9 will receive $300
- Students ages 10 through 19 will receive $450
Applications are available via the Yavapai-Apache Nation website.
“[The council] decided to use some of the ARPA funds because we weren’t able to provide [the program], I think it was two times; we weren’t able to provide it all during COVID,” said Council Secretary Karla Reimer.
“When we weren’t able to do it, it was hard, because families depended on it and you know how fast kids grow these days,” she added.
Reimer said the program is normally funded through tribal revenue, such as income from the Cliff Castle Casino, and is offered twice per year, in July and January.
“In July, you can purchase clothing, shoes and school supplies” such as backpacks, pencils and pens “and in January it’s just strictly for shoes and clothes,” she said. “This last go-around, we had about 265 families that applied for it.”
26-Year Program
“Since 1996, we’ve had the program going,” Reimer said. “It’s for kids that are tribal members; they have to [be enrolled in] school, [and] it’s for all tribal members, not just for people within the 10-mile radius.”
To be eligible, families must provide their child’s school and tribal enrollment information, a report card, attendance record and more.
“Since COVID, we haven’t been as strict in the policies [such as attendance] because everything has changed; a lot of that’s not even happening because they are still doing online,” Reimer said.
The program has evolved over the years, where families previously received the allowance in the form of a check.
“We’ve changed that now, with a credit card,” Reimer said. “It works out very well [as the families] can go to any store that they want; there are some stores that you’re not able to, but [for example] we let the [private school students] go to sewing stores so they can get their emblems, so we can lift the rules on that to allow them to get that stuff done.”
Reimer said the program provides a variety of benefits to students and their families.
Having new clothes builds confidence, Reimer said.
“There’s more family involvement [because] the parents are going with [the students] to go shop; they don’t just give them the card to shop on their own,” she added. “They’ll go shopping and then maybe go out to eat together and maybe they hardly ever get to do that; some-times the kids are so busy with sports and [other activities], so it brings the families together.”
It’s a really good program,” she said.
