CHIP IN Batavia -

Community Helpers Impacting People in Need



Our Mission

To support students of BPS District 101 who find themselves in temporary housing situations and to support them while they are transitioning to permanent housing and to insure that students who are facing poverty can be successful in school.  To support students in BPS District 101 who are in low income families and have a  difficult time with basic needs.

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It all started when a community member approached Lisa Palese about helping a family that she heard about who was homeless.  Upon further invesitagation, she found out there were more than 50 students in Batavia living in temporary housing.  A group of parents and community members quickly formed CHIP IN  Batavia to support these students to give them the best educational experience possible. There are over 1,100 students in Batavia from low-income families that have a very difficult time making ends meet.  Batavia High School alone has over 300 students from low-income families.  With the incredible support from our community, we have expanded to also help these low income families with basic needs as well.  We work with staff in administration and with staff at

all schools to identify student (and their family) needs.  We can work very fast to get what is needed to help make their lives easier and more comfortable. 

          "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

                                                                                ~Winston Churchill

Lisa Palese is the Director of Student Services and the Homeless Liaison for Batavia Schools.  She has been a teacher in Batavia for the past twenty (20) years and has spent the last three (3) years working with our homeless families.  As of October 2014,  there are over 40 students in the Batavia that are considered homeless.  Lisa works with each family to ensure that each student has supplies, transportation to school, basic clothing and access to other resources outside of school.  She is currently working with CHIP IN , area churches, and community members to expand the support that Batavia can offer to students 

Lisa Palese

Director of Student Services/Homeless Liaison

lisa.palese@bps101.net

Community Outreach Coordinator

We are thrilled to announce that the Batavia Schools has added additional supports through Title One funds to support our students and families.  Amy Nelson will provide services as the Community Outreach Coordinator. She will work to assist Lisa Palese, our Student Services Director, with the coordination of services and programs for our students currently facing homelessness and financial difficulties. She also will be servicing our Title One schools, helping those schools with existent and new programs offered to help bring more success for our students in academic distress. Amy has lived in Batavia for 43 years, is a Batavia graduate, a former Batavia teacher, is married to a Batavia teacher and coach, and has 3 children in 3 of our Batavia schools. Amy is grateful to be in such a wonderful community who supports and encourages our students, our District and our incredible city of Batavia. She is honored to be the new Community Outreach Coordinator and looks forward to partnering with Chip In to help our students and families in need. 

CHIP IN Coordinators:

Melinda Kintz, co-chair, Batavia Apartments Liaison

Joanne Spitz, co-chair; BHS Liaison

Diane Anderson and Bobbi VonLunen, RMS Liaison (Batavia Woman's Club)

Sue Bauer, HWS Liaison (Kiwanis)

Cindy Morgan, LWS Liaison

Amy Moore, AGS Liaison

Laura Bernabei, AGS Liaison

Karen Yunker, HCS Liaison

Nancy Schmitz, JBN Liaison