Our Mission

School Worx empowers individuals and families to overcome barriers to stability through short-term, direct support.

Our roots began in Marin and Sonoma County, with a focus on ensuring access to school supplies and enrichment activities for children. As we grew, we expanded our mission to include educators and families, and finally anyone experiencing a time of great need.

Now, School Worx helps more adults than children annually, providing short-term essentials—from car repairs to disaster aid—that bridge gaps while longer solutions take effect.

Grounded in the belief that every act of kindness matters, we meet urgent needs today while investing in stronger futures for Marin, Sonoma, and beyond.

Our Four Pillars:

Stability • Accessibility • Education • Crisis Relief

1. Stability

At School Worx, we know all too well that one setback or family emergency can result in a snowball effect. We prevent cascading crises by helping with:

  • Urgent bills (rent, utilities)

  • Transportation repairs (to keep jobs secure)

  • Medical crises (e.g. copay for urgent care)

2. Education Without Barriers

Because every child deserves to be set up for success. For students in Marin/Sonoma, we have provided:

  • Backpacks and school uniforms

  • Laptops/iPads needed for class

  • Other school costs (tutoring, transportation repairs)

  • Enrichment (field trips, camp, sports fees)

    While we can’t fulfill every request, we prioritize classroom-essential items for students in crisis.

3. Accessibility

Even when long-term assistance is available, it can take weeks or months to wade through the red tape in order to be approved and get help. What are you supposed to do until then?

School Worx aims to serve as a backstop, preventing families from sliding into more acute crisis while they wait for other help. Our model of providing fast, short-term aid can fill in holes that other safety nets have left behind. Nobody deserves to fall through the cracks.

No bureaucracy—just quick help to keep families afloat.

4. Crisis Relief

While our School Worx handout events for unhoused neighbors in SF have been a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition for many years, after the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history, it was clear that changing threats called for new avenues of aid.

School Worx augments the efforts of other relief groups and agencies by continuing to respond to the ongoing homelessness crisis, as well as natural disasters. Some of our efforts include:

  • Hygiene kits + gift cards (Paradise Fire, 2018.)

  • School supplies (Santa Rosa students affected by the Tubbs Fire of 2017.)

  • Holiday meals (SF unhoused neighbors)

When disaster strikes, we fill immediate gaps so families can focus on recovery.