Economic Security · Piloted Spring 2026
Student & Family Safety Net
Emergency cash for students and families in crisis in East San José, delivered by a partner families already knew and trusted.
- Where
- Alum Rock Union School District
- Delivered by
- The City Peace Project
- Funded by
- County of Santa Clara
- Households
- 22
- Students
- 22, in elementary and middle school
- Cash
- Unconditional
Results
In Two Months
Source: The City Peace Project partner report, April to May 2026.
The Model
How It Worked
When Alum Rock Union School District approached us, more families than ever were falling through the cracks, some after losing a parent or a paycheck overnight. As a public agency, the district couldn't put cash in their hands. So we found another way, together.
The district identified families
School staff referred students and families in crisis, including families with high needs who didn't qualify for other help.
A trusted partner delivered the cash
mBOLDen Change funded The City Peace Project, a partner families already knew and trusted, to deliver unconditional cash.
Families decided
Families decided how to use it. For many that meant catching up on rent, buying bus passes or paying for emergency dental care.
Every Payment
Where the Money Went
Each card is one payment. Most were $500 or less, and many covered more than one person. Choose a need to see which payments met it.
23 payments · $6,500 · 45 people
- Mar 25$450Funeral costsHelped 1 person
- Mar 25$350Glasses for a studentHelped 1 person
- Apr 22$100ClothingHelped 1 person
- Apr 30$150ClothingHelped 1 person
- May 8$100ClothingHelped 1 person
- May 11$500RentHelped 5 people
- May 12$900Financial helpHelped 1 person
- May 12$250TransportationHelped 1 person
- May 12$500RentHelped 2 people
- May 14$400ClothingHelped 2 people
- May 20$150Food and clothingHelped 2 people
- May 20$100Food, rent and clothingHelped 4 people
- May 20$200TransportationHelped 4 people
- May 20$150FoodHelped 3 people
- May 20$200Glasses for a studentHelped 1 person
- May 20$100School suppliesHelped 1 person
- May 20$100School suppliesHelped 1 person
- May 20$100School suppliesHelped 1 person
- May 20$100School suppliesHelped 1 person
- May 26$500Medical careHelped 1 person
- May 26$500RentHelped 6 people
- May 28$500Food, rent and clothingHelped 2 people
- May 29$100Food and clothingHelped 2 people
Insights
What We Learned
Flexible cash meets the need in front of a family.
No two families needed the same thing. Payments covered rent, school clothes, a student's glasses, bus fare and funeral costs. Flexible cash let each family address its most urgent need.
It reached families other help misses.
Many school funds are reserved for families experiencing homelessness. This fund also helped families with high needs who didn't qualify. One student had already used the two pairs of glasses Medi-Cal covers each year.
Speed matters.
Turnaround was quick. A mother in severe tooth pain with no dental insurance got a same-day emergency appointment and the follow-up care she needed.
It filled a gap left by cuts.
After eighth grade, Alum Rock students move on to a separate high school district. That district laid off most of the staff who provided bus passes to families in hardship, so there was no one to hand families off to. The fund covered bus fare so students heading to high school could get there.
Cash works best with support.
Pairing the cash with financial workshops and help finding other resources gave families tools to plan beyond the crisis.
In Their Words
From the Families
Our Partner
Basic Needs Fund
A Safety Net in Their Own Community
Children can't focus on school when their families are in crisis. Together with our partners, we built a safety net in their own community. The Basic Needs Fund pays for the cash in pilots like this one.
The Student & Family Safety Net was funded by a grant from the County of Santa Clara.