The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation recently approved a $350,000 grant to provide health and human services for low-income students in four Catholic elementary schools in the Daughters of Charity network in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

According to Education Ministry Councilor Sr. Adella Armentrout, the gift is a huge boost to the Family Services program which provides wrap-around services to students and their families at Our Lady of Talpa, St. Vincents, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal and Mother of Sorrows elementary schools.

“Our families need access to services that address medical, psychological and socio-economic issues,” Armentrout said.

“The economic instability of the families we serve often leads to a host of other social challenges. Many families struggle with violence (both domestic and gang), English, unemployment, housing and food insecurity, citizenship issues, financial literacy and mental or emotional problems,” she added.

The pandemic has only enhanced these challenges. The four Daughters of Charity Schools in LA are in the heart of California’s hardest hit counties.

Thanks to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant, the schools will be able to add staff to enhance the program and make services more accessible to both students and their families.

“We are so grateful to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,” Armentrout said. “This gift will take us from a skeleton staff serving 1200 students to a full department consisting of dedicated staff in each school. This is going to have an extraordinary impact on our families.”