Shalonda, 20 years old, NJ |

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Shalonda is a strong and resilient young girl. She does very well academically but she would prefer that class be held in person. Shalonda had to deal with an extremely traumatic event at the start of 2020. On Christmas morning in 2019, her nine year old brother stopped breathing. A few weeks later, he was taken off of life support and passed away when there was nothing that could be done to save him. Shalonda was very close with her brother and walked with him to school every day. She has become much more introverted since then and has found peace in creating artwork to express herself. Painting and drawing are her favorite activities. She misses going to school in person where she could use more art supplies.

Shalonda’s mom has had her hours reduced and her family has struggled somewhat financially over the fall and early winter. Shalonda works really hard to help out her mom, and rarely asks for anything for herself. She does need new winter essentials, like a coat, boots, and warm winter clothing to return to school after winter break.