- Donation supports effort to provide needed coats and personal care items to students throughout DPSCD, helping to address the basic needs of students for better educational experience.
- Additionally, HAP donated washers and dryers to select Detroit Public Schools to improve attendance rates and student participation.
DETROIT – Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan, and the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) have deepened their alliance, as today HAP announced that for the second year in a row, it has donated $75,000 to DPSCD in support of its program that provides coats and personal care items to any students in the district who need them. This year’s coat drive was held at Mason Academy.
“We are extremely grateful to HAP for their continued support of our children,” said Bishop Corletta Vaughn, DPSCD Board Member. “This type of thoughtful and targeted philanthropy will help us continue to address barriers associated with chronic absenteeism and homeless and marginal populations, these machines will be one more step closer to realizing our whole child commitment.”
This donation comes a year after HAP’s initial donation of $75,000 to the DPSCD Foundation that purchased all-weather coats and personal care items that students “shopped” for at DPSCD schools in March of 2022. The district has since coordinated shopping events throughout the schools to allow parents and families to select coats and other items needed. The program was designed to support approximately 6,000 students and their families by eliminating barriers to attendance and attention while at school and ensuring that students have appropriate personal support items to come to school with confidence.
“We are always working to find ways to support DPSCD in meaningful ways” said Michael Genord M.D., HAP President and CEO. “We listened to DPSCD about their needs, and decided that our contributions will go towards solutions that remove barriers to regular attendance in school, which is critically important to ensuring our kids continue to grow and thrive.”
HAP is also meeting student basic needs in a different way this year, by donating and installing washing machines and dryers in schools. Washers and dryers were installed early this year at three Detroit Schools, including Detroit International Academy (DIA) for Young Women, Mason Academy, and Thirkell Elementary-Middle School. HAP responded to a critical need in the community, as a lack of clean clothing can often be a barrier to regular school attendance. Providing laundry services is an ongoing solution for students who aren’t comfortable attending school in unclean clothes—which can happen because of a lack of family resources. HAP’s latest washer and dryer donation builds on previous efforts to support DPSCD’s goal of increasing attendance, improving educational outcomes, and improving the quality of life for Detroit students.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (using the HAP Empowered name), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. For more information, visit www.hap.org.
About Detroit Public Schools Community District
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system. It is governed by a locally elected, seven-member board with Dr. Nikolai Vitti serving as superintendent. The District’s mission is to provide every student with a beneficial and rightful educational experience, preparing students to be career and college ready, and qualified to compete in the global market. For more information, visit detroitk12.org and follow @detroitk12 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.