Funded Oct 19, 2022Hurricane Ian impacted many lives in the Sarasota School District. Our school, Cranberry Elementary, unfortunately was also a victim of the winds and rain. As a kindergarten teacher, with an access door to the playground, my room was greatly impacted. All the cabinetry, carpeting, and the walls up to about 4 feet needed to be replaced. These repairs meant my entire classroom had to be packed away by a crew, my students had to double up with another class for several weeks, and I lost many items due to water damage.
As the staff and children returned to school after the storm, we all looked to each other for support and a sense of normalcy. On top of having our workplace disturbed, many of us were dealing with home repairs or even coming to terms with the fact that we may never live in our homes again or for quite some time. I watched as many of the teachers and administration put their needs on hold to focus on the students over everything else. There was a great need to provide a safe, warm place for everyone to come together and get back to our lives.
Aside from the support of our inner world, help was offered from many others. One of the greatest sources of assistance came from The Education Foundation. I, along with many of my colleagues, reached out for help through Donors Choose. Our projects were met with generous contributions and often with complete funding. The necessary items were needed to keep the students fed and help them process their feelings about the storm. Some of the items given were snacks, a large comfort teddy bear, and everyone got their own PlayDoh and bubbles. I cannot express how important these items have been in moving through this traumatic period for my class. As a Title 1 school, many of our students need a little extra that cannot be provided from home. To be able to supply this for my students has been a precious, invaluable gift. The gratitude I have simply cannot be expressed with words.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Collins