n 2017 Cathy Sitarz met a new client, Julie Frentz, an educator. Julie shared with Cathy about the school she was teaching at and the many needs of her students. Julie mentioned that many of her families were living paycheck to paycheck and unable to provide basic school supplies for their children.

Cathy asked Julie to lunch to talk more about the children, teachers and schools and their needs. Cathy wanted to help. The outcome of that first meeting became the foundation’s first school supply drive. Over 600 school supplies were collected and donated to one school.

After that first drive, Cathy and Julie knew they had to keep doing something to help students, teacher and schools. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 annual school supply drives were held. Each year the number of items donated to schools and families grew. After four years, over 5,000 items have been donated to 12 schools!

With the help of others’ generous hearts, Cathy, her husband Brian and Julie founded the Helping Children Succeed in School Foundation (HCSS Foundation) in 2022.

The foundation’s mission is to continue helping children, parents, teachers and schools through the Valley by providing necessary school supplies and items needed for all to succeed.