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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The United Way of Wyoming Valley launched a program Monday that aims to decrease absenteeism among disadvantaged students in Wilkes-Barre elementary schools.</p><p>The initiative, titled &#8220;Loads of Love&#8221; is an extension of the United Way&#8217;s Nurse&#8217;s Pantry program which provides families with essential items that ensure their children make it to school every day. As part of the program, the United Way installed washing machines and dryers in all five Wilkes-Barre elementary schools so students can always have access to clean school clothes.</p><p>According to Bill Jones, president and CEO of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, 48 percent of Wilkes-Barre School District students come from families below the poverty line, and the district has a chronic absenteeism rate of 44 percent, which is more than double the state average.</p><p>&#8220;Low income students tend to miss a lot of school for reasons other than being sick,&#8221; Jones said.</p><p>The school district informed the United Way that many students have a limited number of clothes and that those clothes are often dirty due to limited access to washing facilities.</p><p>&#8220;When kids know their clothes have a bit of an odor they don&#8217;t want to go to school,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;And when you can&#8217;t go to school you can&#8217;t learn.&#8221;</p><p>Jones believes the Loads of Love program will benefit disadvantaged students in many ways.</p><p>&#8220;We hope it well help these kids feel good about school and reduce embarrassment, isolation and bullying,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If we can help these students we can reduce absenteeism; if they&#8217;re in school they will learn more and be more confident.&#8221;</p><p>Jones believes this program encapsulates the United Way&#8217;s new philosophy.</p><p>&#8220;This program is a great illustration of how we are working differently to help children and families,&#8221; Jones said.</p><p>The United Way of Wyoming Valley has narrowed its focus to address the impact of things that directly affect the community, such as childhood poverty.</p><p>&#8220;This is a great way to meet kids where they are and help them on the spot,&#8221; Jones said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Heights Murray Elementary School Nurse Tracy Glynn-Roulinavage and sixth-grade student Jazlyn Morillo check out one of the washing machines donated to the school by the United Way as part of its &#8216;Loads of Love&#8217; program. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_loads-of-love-3-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Heights Murray Elementary School Nurse Tracy Glynn-Roulinavage and sixth-grade student Jazlyn Morillo check out one of the washing machines donated to the school by the United Way as part of its &#8216;Loads of Love&#8217; program. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Connor Moffitt</p><p>cmoffitt@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

United Way aims to help students with ’Loads of Love’