Sachse-area students experiencing housing instability are receiving hygiene kits in August through a new partnership between Garland ISD and EverDriven, a national student transportation company.

The kits include shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes and lotion. They're going to families identified through the district's McKinney-Vento program, which guarantees students experiencing homelessness immediate school enrollment and transportation to their school of origin.

"The nice thing is that EverDriven recognized another need and said, 'We're going to fill this gap and provide some of the items our students need,'" Dr. Lisa Olsen, Garland ISD's student engagement administrator, said in the district's Aug. 10 announcement.

The donation is part of EverDriven's nationwide Arrive Ready back-to-school campaign, which is distributing backpacks, school supplies and hygiene products to students at seven partner districts throughout August. Garland ISD is one of those seven, according to CityBiz.

EverDriven already had a relationship with the district through its Transportation Department, which works alongside Student Engagement & Support Services to identify housing-unstable students and connect families with resources. The hygiene kit donation grew out of that existing connection.

The need is growing.

EverDriven served nearly 14,000 students experiencing housing instability under the McKinney-Vento Act during the 2025-26 school year and has reported a 167.4% increase in the number of such students it has transported since 2020. Nationally, families with children experiencing homelessness rose nearly 39% in a single year, according to HUD data cited in EverDriven's announcement.

Olsen said families are "incredibly grateful" when they receive donations from community partners. The district has not disclosed how many Garland ISD students are served through McKinney-Vento, but Sachse High School is among the campuses covered.

EverDriven's announcement also cites research identifying lack of transportation as a leading driver of chronic absenteeism among students experiencing homelessness. The company serves more than 800 districts across 38 states and completed more than 2.1 million trips in the 2025-26 school year.

The district will distribute the kits to identified families throughout the school year.