“Named for the working-class community that surrounds it, Fruit Valley Elementary is bordered by rent-assisted housing and a Frito-Lay plant that employs about 450 of the area’s residents. In 1999, it became the first in the Vancouver district to open a resource center where families in need could find food and clothing, but also get help with housing vouchers, job referrals, and links to mental health counseling. The concept — generally known as a community school — spread throughout the district, and now all 39 schools employ or share a resource coordinator.”
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