On the topic of Scholastic: we just got a flyer home regarding our book fair and our school will be offering parents the opportunity to buy a book for a school hit by Katrina. I am not sure what role Scholastic has in this, but I am guessing they are participating in some way.
I was actually in a relief shelter today here in our city in Louisiana today. The extent of this disaster is mind-boggling to me. Many of these people come from such poverty in New Orleans that they are, without hesitation, getting on buses that will take them across the country, just to have a new opportunity. ONe family I met today(father, mother, 5 yr old) at the registration table was getting on a church bus going to Lincoln, Nebraska, where a group of 20 churches was preparing to offer these people housing and financial aid. These folks, along with others, didn't know a thing about Nebraska but were fully prepared to leave. I was happy for their new opportunity but sad that they will leave Louisiana and the life and friends they've had their whole life.
Anyway, thanks to all who have helped with support. One contact that I made on this board actually phoned me today to get an address to ship relief goods to! Thanks to this website her school is shipping a whole pallet of items to our central relief warehouse here in our city.
Hello, I am from Ocean Springs, Ms. I'm working with Dawn Varney (6th grade teacher and dance team sponsor) and the 7th and 8th grade football coaches at Ocean Springs Middle School. Some of our students have lost everything, including cleats and dance team uniforms. Our schools will be starting back on Sept. 26; and they have just announced we will be having a football season. The faster we can get our children back to some since of normal schedules the faster their emotional healing process will begin. We can not ask their families to replace these items when they are trying to get their families out of shelters into temporary housing. If any organization or individual would be willing to help out, please contact myself or Dawn Varney.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers during our rebuilding process. e-mail address:tsneron@aol.com
When we lived in Des Moines there was a radio station that would always have a "challenge" with another state's govenor...you know like when Iowa plays Michigan and if they win the governor pays up with something from Michigan, and vise versa.
Don't forget there is a military base in Omaha, not sure how far you are from there (I grew-up 90 miles east of Omaha) but I would see if anyone is going to their base. Lawry Airforce base here in Colorado is being offered, it's just hard to be told to wait a week before taking anything over.
I'll have to mention to our Scholastic gal about this, what a great oppurtunity!
Great idea! I was just talking to our Scholastic rep this morning and they had set up a donation program that would be part of your book fair(One for Books) and they would match the funds(in books) and give them to 3 charities they had designated(like the Literacy Foundation), but she told me they have now added into that effort getting books into the schools that have been hit by the hurricane. So if any schools are using Scholastic for a book fair in the near future, here's a way to help.
I hope to present an idea to our PTO board at our next meeting! I hope that we can issue a challenge to the PTO/PTA Organzations in our school district to raise money to purchase library books for schools down the road in this rebuilidng process. We have 5 elementary schools in our District so hopefully we can make a difference in the lives of these children when they go back to school!
