The Cove offers a safe environment Monday through Thursday, 4 – 8pm, for students to access showers, mental healthcare, case management, a family-style dinner, healthy snacks, an optional workout program, washer/dryer, tutoring services, educational programming through community partners, and WISD “seat time.” Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs identifies five basic human needs that, when met in sequence and in the proper course of human development, lead to the ability to actualize one’s full potential. These basic human needs are food, water, warmth, rest, and safety. In the 2017-18 academic year, the Cove had 1,436 student visits in the 138 days of operation, which is up from 440 visits over 118 days in the 2016-17 academic year. Attendance has nearly tripled in one year, with an average of 10 students per night attending programming. Last school year, we served 76 unique students, which represents 27% of WISD’s McKinney-Vento homeless youth count. While these numbers are encouraging, the stories of impact that our students share with us are at the heart of what we do.