History
Cheryl Opper, Educator and Child Advocate founded School on Wheels of Massachusetts in April of 2004 after reading an article about Agnes Stevens, a retired teacher who saw children on the streets during school hours and decided to make it her mission in life to provide educational services and mentoring for homeless children in the Los Angeles area. In 2001 Sally Bindley started a School on Wheels program for children experiencing homeless in Indianapolis Indiana.
School on Wheels of Massachusetts is the 3rd program in the country. We are 100% privately funded through individuals, civic organizations, businesses and foundations. We do not accept state or federal funding.
Our Numbers Since 2004
- 10 sites launched
- 550 volunteer tutors trained
- 15,000 volunteer hours logged
- 2,300+ backpacks distributed
- 900+ children and families supported
- 6,500 new books given to students
- 10 students enrolled in college
"Children who have lost their homes are invisible children in our clasrooms at risk for repeating the cycle of homelessness. It is up to all of us as committed citizens to rally around these children as a community and provide them with an educational safety net to achieve a quality education."
-Cheryl Opper
Founder and Executive Director, School on Wheels of Massachusetts
