Dusting off my LinkedIn login after a long hiatus to ask my amazing and diverse network for specific help for our devastated Asheville City and Buncombe County school communities.
I am reaching out in my role as co-president of my sons' public school Family + Teacher Organization (FTO). As essential living supplies are reaching Asheville and Buncombe County, on-the-ground school staff and other parent leaders are shifting some of our focus to the long weeks and months ahead. With our schools and extracurricular activities closed for weeks and possibly months because of the severe flooding, landslides, and lack of running water, there is a real concerned about children falling significantly behind. Getting stimulating, tangible resources into students' hands as quickly as possible can combat boredom and hopefully keep students from falling as far behind. See this article from yesterday's NYTimes with the exact risks we are facing across our community: https://lnkd.in/ewr67fgE
Of course, we are organizing drives and creating wishlists to collect items such as books, arts and craft supplies, magazines, STEM kits and toys, and other educational toys. However, if anyone knows of (or can connect me to) companies possibly willing to donate these tangible items in particular, I assure you that we can deploy them to the community efficiently because of our ongoing outreach work with some of the most vulnerable families in Asheville and our emerging partnerships with other Asheville City and Buncombe County PTOs and PTAs. In particular, I am thinking about companies with STEAM/educational toys, media, and kits like KiwiCo, Yoto, Highlights For Kids, Lakeshore Learning, Little Passports...and there are many others. Access to virtual learning resources would also be helpful, although reliable internet infrastructure is still not a given in our communities at this time.
We have been blown away by the support shown around the country for our struggles in Western NC, so am putting this out there in the universe in hopes that something great might come of it. But regardless, please keep the kids of WNC in your thoughts. (Donations to the Asheville City Schools Foundation and Buncombe County School Fundations can't hurt either!)
