Thanks to Yorkville High School, a couple of generous individual donors, and the cash contribution made by Reynolds & Reynolds out of Houston, TX Schools Count Corp was able to take an entire truckload of binders, folders, pens, pencils, loose leaf paper, and school uniforms to the Galveston schools. These are the same schools that were hammered by Hurricane Ike just months ago.
All went smoothly in terms of delivery and the folks at San Jacinto being appreciative of the supplies...literally thousands and thousands of the above materials. Just one problem (aren't there always some?). Walmart didn't have all of the goods ready for us on Sunday, Feb. 15th so we had to wait for the evening truckload to roll in before we got our full allotment of supplies. Thankfully, all worked out well in the end.
Besides, we got to meet up with family and friends as we waited for the last of the supplies to be loaded onto the truck. A great time was had by one and all over dinner at the Olive Garden.
A special thanks goes out to our volunteers; to Dawn and Maddie Oler for making the trek from Chicago to Galveston to loading and unloading the truck in addition to purchasing the school uniforms, to April and Sander Hardenbol for making their second trip to Galveston as well as aiding our fundraising efforts and; finally, to the folks at San Jacinto Elementary for all the kindness and help in making our delivery so successful.
Many thanks,
Dick Flesher
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Delivery to Galveston Independent School District
On Monday, February 16, 2009 over $6,000 in donated funds was used to provide the Galveston Independent School District with school supplies and school uniform shirts. Special thanks to Sander and April Hardenbol for their efforts in Houston.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Brighter Day for Galveston
Sander Hardenbol's very own words, "A Brighter Day for Galveston," about yesterday's delivery of supplies to San Jacinto Elementary couldn't be more appropriate! Sander and his wife, April, helped me deliver school supplies yesterday, Monday, Oct. 20th and I'll have more to say about their volunteer efforts a bit later.
Taking school supplies into Galveston, TX yesterday took me back, sadly, to the early days of aiding the New Orleans schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The streets of Galveston are cluttered with mounds of debris, many street lights aren't operational, and large boats remained jammed against I-45 as one comes into or leaves the city. These are but a small handful of the many obstacles facing the residents of a city too often hit by storms.
The devastation of Hurricane Ike has left deep wounds on this coastal city; its normal daily activities, the children, and its schools. Truly, the students and schools are in desperate need of help.
Students have too few resources for classes. April and Sander Hardenbol, two Houston residents, helping me deliver supplies to San Jacinto Elementary, remarked that they only saw one box of folders in the entire distribution area at the school. By the way, this is a sort of distribution area for all of the thirteen Galveston schools.
To say the least, our arrival with thousands of binders, crayons, loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, folders, and colored pencils was met with outright joy. Julie Schmed, who oversees educational supply donations to the Galveston Independent School system, couldn't have been happier. Her eyes lit up when she saw the supplies on the back of the truck.
As Julie said, "people keep asking me for these types of supplies and I tell them, they're coming." It is pretty obvious Julie is doing her part to garner needed resources for the children but they have been slow to make their way to the classroom.
Added to the absence of needed supplies is the fact that Ike caused so much damage, much of it manifesting itself in the classroom. Schools were damaged (some of them are still closed), children are in need of clothes, supplies and equipment within some of the buildings are ruined and lost. Beyond these conditions is the sad fact that there may be as many as 3,000 homeless children on the island. The school district is doing it best to serve these youngsters.
After unloading the truck, April, Sander and I marveled at the work of the GISD employees. Julie couldn't have been more pleased with the donations of Schools Count Corp. Theresa and Kelly two dynamic and enegetic volunteers inside the building were effusive in their praise of our efforts. By the way, positive...Theresa and Kelly are just that. They were everywhere; stacking supplies, folding clothes, arranging deliveries, helping those coming to the center to select items, and so much more. Talk about two people making a difference...WOW!
Some how, some way, Schools Count Corp will make it back to Galveston. I'm not sure when but it will be sooner rather than later. With volunteers like Julie, Fred (the hard working custodian), Theresa and Kelly we'd be crazy not to come back. By the way, April and Sander took the day off from work to help. Talk about dedicated and committed people!! Thanks!
Again, to all those who donated their time and money to the Galveston initiative let me offer you my sincere thanks. You have once again made a huge difference. Once I get back to Illinois I'll post some pictures of our work with the Galveston schools.
Thanks,
Dick Flesher
Taking school supplies into Galveston, TX yesterday took me back, sadly, to the early days of aiding the New Orleans schools in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The streets of Galveston are cluttered with mounds of debris, many street lights aren't operational, and large boats remained jammed against I-45 as one comes into or leaves the city. These are but a small handful of the many obstacles facing the residents of a city too often hit by storms.
The devastation of Hurricane Ike has left deep wounds on this coastal city; its normal daily activities, the children, and its schools. Truly, the students and schools are in desperate need of help.
Students have too few resources for classes. April and Sander Hardenbol, two Houston residents, helping me deliver supplies to San Jacinto Elementary, remarked that they only saw one box of folders in the entire distribution area at the school. By the way, this is a sort of distribution area for all of the thirteen Galveston schools.
To say the least, our arrival with thousands of binders, crayons, loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, folders, and colored pencils was met with outright joy. Julie Schmed, who oversees educational supply donations to the Galveston Independent School system, couldn't have been happier. Her eyes lit up when she saw the supplies on the back of the truck.
As Julie said, "people keep asking me for these types of supplies and I tell them, they're coming." It is pretty obvious Julie is doing her part to garner needed resources for the children but they have been slow to make their way to the classroom.
Added to the absence of needed supplies is the fact that Ike caused so much damage, much of it manifesting itself in the classroom. Schools were damaged (some of them are still closed), children are in need of clothes, supplies and equipment within some of the buildings are ruined and lost. Beyond these conditions is the sad fact that there may be as many as 3,000 homeless children on the island. The school district is doing it best to serve these youngsters.
After unloading the truck, April, Sander and I marveled at the work of the GISD employees. Julie couldn't have been more pleased with the donations of Schools Count Corp. Theresa and Kelly two dynamic and enegetic volunteers inside the building were effusive in their praise of our efforts. By the way, positive...Theresa and Kelly are just that. They were everywhere; stacking supplies, folding clothes, arranging deliveries, helping those coming to the center to select items, and so much more. Talk about two people making a difference...WOW!
Some how, some way, Schools Count Corp will make it back to Galveston. I'm not sure when but it will be sooner rather than later. With volunteers like Julie, Fred (the hard working custodian), Theresa and Kelly we'd be crazy not to come back. By the way, April and Sander took the day off from work to help. Talk about dedicated and committed people!! Thanks!
Again, to all those who donated their time and money to the Galveston initiative let me offer you my sincere thanks. You have once again made a huge difference. Once I get back to Illinois I'll post some pictures of our work with the Galveston schools.
Thanks,
Dick Flesher
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Going to Galveston!
Finally, nearly a month after Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston Island, the students are back at their desks. But normalcy has not returned to schools. Piles of debris are still strewn about, people are without proper housing, jobs are gone, many students are displaced from their original school and life is anything but normal for many. As parents struggle with these issues, students are still in need of daily materials for their classwork.
Perhaps the proof of the continuing struggles for so many is the fact that former Presidents Bush and Clinton toured the Galveston area on Tuesday, October 14 to get a first hand account of the devastation and to plead for desperately needed funds for islands residents.
Many will recall that the two former Presidents raised sorely needed funds for the Asian tsunami survivors as well as those who faced the havoc of Hurricane Katrina in NOLA. It's pretty obvious that Ike has had the same lethal impact on Galveston residents as did the two earlier hurricanes.
Schools Count Corp will head to Galveston on Sunday, October 19 and will deliver a variety of supplies to the schools and assess the damage on October 20th and 21st. Students will be provided with pens, pencils, paper, folders, binders, crayons, and colored pencils among other items.
As we head into Galveston I want to make special mention of the fact that two area high schools are doing their part to help the schools. The Student Council of Lyons Township High School has made a significant contribution relative to purchasing supplies for the children. LT's Homecoming has a social aspect to it and this year the students chose to support our endeavor. Likewise, Hinsdale Central's Habitat for Humanity Club is sponsoring its annual chili dinner, donating 50% of the proceeds to Schools Count Corp so that we can buy classroom essentials. Kudo's to LT and HC!!
I'll follow up with stories and pictures of our trek into Galveston next week.
To those of you who have contributed time, energy, funds and products to this initiative...many thanks! You are one of the main forces behind helping the Galveston students recover from the storm.
Dick Flesher
Perhaps the proof of the continuing struggles for so many is the fact that former Presidents Bush and Clinton toured the Galveston area on Tuesday, October 14 to get a first hand account of the devastation and to plead for desperately needed funds for islands residents.
Many will recall that the two former Presidents raised sorely needed funds for the Asian tsunami survivors as well as those who faced the havoc of Hurricane Katrina in NOLA. It's pretty obvious that Ike has had the same lethal impact on Galveston residents as did the two earlier hurricanes.
Schools Count Corp will head to Galveston on Sunday, October 19 and will deliver a variety of supplies to the schools and assess the damage on October 20th and 21st. Students will be provided with pens, pencils, paper, folders, binders, crayons, and colored pencils among other items.
As we head into Galveston I want to make special mention of the fact that two area high schools are doing their part to help the schools. The Student Council of Lyons Township High School has made a significant contribution relative to purchasing supplies for the children. LT's Homecoming has a social aspect to it and this year the students chose to support our endeavor. Likewise, Hinsdale Central's Habitat for Humanity Club is sponsoring its annual chili dinner, donating 50% of the proceeds to Schools Count Corp so that we can buy classroom essentials. Kudo's to LT and HC!!
I'll follow up with stories and pictures of our trek into Galveston next week.
To those of you who have contributed time, energy, funds and products to this initiative...many thanks! You are one of the main forces behind helping the Galveston students recover from the storm.
Dick Flesher
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Finally, Contact with Galveston Schools!
After 12 days of trying to get through to Galveston school officials, I finally made contact with Superintendent Lynn Cleveland and her asst., Barbara Mallory on Thursday, September 25th. The time lag clearly indicates the severity of the hurricane and the overwhelming load of work that remains in so very many areas prior to getting schools ready to open on Monday, Oct. 6th. As of this posting, the 6th is the target date to open schools.
After speaking to Ms. Cleveland and Ms. Mallory it is clear that the schools need our help. Both individuals were thrilled that Schools Count Corp. is willing to step up and help aid the children.
Superintendent Cleveland mentioned four items as major needs. These include backpacks, assorted student supplies - writing tools, loose leaf paper, folders, and more - music instruments, and library books. Other specific products are also in great need and we are working with Julie Schmed, the Educational Foundation Laison, to work out details on acquisition and delivery within the next couple of weeks.
Our original intent was to help the Galveston schools by flying into Dallas-Ft. Worth and then making the 250 trek south to the coast. Fortunately, I have found some kind individuals within the Houston, TX region who are willing to help us procur school supplies and aid us in getting them to Galveston. The Houston to Galveston drive is a scant 35 miles so we will be able to save funds on trucking, etc. By the way, fuel is a precious commodity in the region so reducing our driving distance is helpful.
As we prepare to go into Galveston I'd like to make a special appeal to you. Many of you work for companies that generously donate to charities. If you are aware that your company engages in this type of philanthropy I'd be most appreciative of your making mentioning of our Galveston initiative. Any funds that they donate would be most helpful.
As we go forward into Texas I will be sure to keep informed on our work.
Many thanks,
Dick
After speaking to Ms. Cleveland and Ms. Mallory it is clear that the schools need our help. Both individuals were thrilled that Schools Count Corp. is willing to step up and help aid the children.
Superintendent Cleveland mentioned four items as major needs. These include backpacks, assorted student supplies - writing tools, loose leaf paper, folders, and more - music instruments, and library books. Other specific products are also in great need and we are working with Julie Schmed, the Educational Foundation Laison, to work out details on acquisition and delivery within the next couple of weeks.
Our original intent was to help the Galveston schools by flying into Dallas-Ft. Worth and then making the 250 trek south to the coast. Fortunately, I have found some kind individuals within the Houston, TX region who are willing to help us procur school supplies and aid us in getting them to Galveston. The Houston to Galveston drive is a scant 35 miles so we will be able to save funds on trucking, etc. By the way, fuel is a precious commodity in the region so reducing our driving distance is helpful.
As we prepare to go into Galveston I'd like to make a special appeal to you. Many of you work for companies that generously donate to charities. If you are aware that your company engages in this type of philanthropy I'd be most appreciative of your making mentioning of our Galveston initiative. Any funds that they donate would be most helpful.
As we go forward into Texas I will be sure to keep informed on our work.
Many thanks,
Dick
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Helping Galveston Schools
Within the next few weeks Schools Count Corp will go into Galveston, TX in order to aid schools which are coping with the ravages of Hurricane Ike. Not only were homes, families, and businesses punished, so to were the schools on the island.
As small as the island is, there, nonetheless, are thirteen (13) schools. To date, all of the schools remain closed. Out of the 13 schools, I know that at least 11 of them took water. Three of the schools have significant damage according to the Galveston Independent School District (http://www.gisd.org/). Burnet Elementary and Ball High have a good deal of damage and will be closed for the foreseeable future. Central took 57 1/2" of water in their Auditorium.
As of this posting, few people can get on the island and communication with the Superintendent and Asst. Superintendent has been limited. Over the next week I will coordinate our assessment of student needs with these officials and determine when its advisable to bring supplies to the children.
The preliminary plan is to fly into Dallas-Ft. Worth and purchase the supplies in the metropolitan region and then truck the supplies the 250 miles to Galveston.
We will be sure to get the goods to the areas hardest hit and with the greatest needs.
Right now our most urgent need is cash funds. If you can send a donation to Richard Flesher, 219 Brookside Lane, A, Willowbrook, IL. 60527 that would be most appreciated. Please make the check payable to Schools Count Corp.
A number of you have generously donated throughout this year for our initiatives in New Orleans. I am most thankful. Another way you can help this Galveston endeavor is to ask your fellow employees to make a contribution to the cause. Please take a few minutes to ask your employer if you can solicit funds in this manner. Remember, Schools Count is a federal non-profit and all donations are tax deductible.
The citizens of Galveston can use our help so lets pitch in and get the students back in the classroom as soon as possible
As small as the island is, there, nonetheless, are thirteen (13) schools. To date, all of the schools remain closed. Out of the 13 schools, I know that at least 11 of them took water. Three of the schools have significant damage according to the Galveston Independent School District (http://www.gisd.org/). Burnet Elementary and Ball High have a good deal of damage and will be closed for the foreseeable future. Central took 57 1/2" of water in their Auditorium.
As of this posting, few people can get on the island and communication with the Superintendent and Asst. Superintendent has been limited. Over the next week I will coordinate our assessment of student needs with these officials and determine when its advisable to bring supplies to the children.
The preliminary plan is to fly into Dallas-Ft. Worth and purchase the supplies in the metropolitan region and then truck the supplies the 250 miles to Galveston.
We will be sure to get the goods to the areas hardest hit and with the greatest needs.
Right now our most urgent need is cash funds. If you can send a donation to Richard Flesher, 219 Brookside Lane, A, Willowbrook, IL. 60527 that would be most appreciated. Please make the check payable to Schools Count Corp.
A number of you have generously donated throughout this year for our initiatives in New Orleans. I am most thankful. Another way you can help this Galveston endeavor is to ask your fellow employees to make a contribution to the cause. Please take a few minutes to ask your employer if you can solicit funds in this manner. Remember, Schools Count is a federal non-profit and all donations are tax deductible.
The citizens of Galveston can use our help so lets pitch in and get the students back in the classroom as soon as possible
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Aftermath of Gustav
True, Hurricane Gustav did not come close to wreaking the havoc on New Orleans as compared to the pounding inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. The fact remains that the large power towers and other infrastructure were severely damaged by Gustav. But the larger issue is the state of mind of the people who have lived through Gustav, Rita, and Katrina.
There are many survivors of Katrina, some I personally know, who shudder when the word hurricane is mentioned. Last Friday, August 29th a young 2nd grader, who I heard talk to the Asst. Principal, remarked in his querry, "My Mom says that I will go to God after this Katrina hits us." Yes, the deep scars linger.
Another man who lost his leg during Hurricane Katrina and survived two days on the roof of a New Orleans East home remarked just four days ago that "seeing water or having even the sensation that the tinest bit of flooding might occur is something I cannot handle."
So as New Orleans and other Louisiana areas cope with Gustav, Schools Count Corp has partnered with clubs at Hinsdale Central High School to send water and food supplies to those recovering from the latest onslaught of mother nature.
The HC boys soccer team, ACE and Peer Leadership partnered with Schools Count Corp and sent a full 53' tractor trailer of needed supplies to the Emergency Management Dept. in the Crescent City. This agency in turn will distribute supplies to the areas hardest hit by Gustav. The truck should arrive with these vital necessities in the afternoon of Sat., Sept. 6th.
Thanks not only goes out to the above named clubs but to a number of individuals and to these groups; Common Ground, Global Hope, St. Bernard Parish Project and the larger Hinsdale Central High School community. Many thanks!
I remain grateful for all those who support our various initiatives in New Orleans and, on behalf of each of you, am pleased to tell you that the fine people of NOLA are so appreciative of your constant support. This is a city, a people, and a country - where those who have been rendered powerless - can reach to our non-profit for aid.
Dick Flesher
There are many survivors of Katrina, some I personally know, who shudder when the word hurricane is mentioned. Last Friday, August 29th a young 2nd grader, who I heard talk to the Asst. Principal, remarked in his querry, "My Mom says that I will go to God after this Katrina hits us." Yes, the deep scars linger.
Another man who lost his leg during Hurricane Katrina and survived two days on the roof of a New Orleans East home remarked just four days ago that "seeing water or having even the sensation that the tinest bit of flooding might occur is something I cannot handle."
So as New Orleans and other Louisiana areas cope with Gustav, Schools Count Corp has partnered with clubs at Hinsdale Central High School to send water and food supplies to those recovering from the latest onslaught of mother nature.
The HC boys soccer team, ACE and Peer Leadership partnered with Schools Count Corp and sent a full 53' tractor trailer of needed supplies to the Emergency Management Dept. in the Crescent City. This agency in turn will distribute supplies to the areas hardest hit by Gustav. The truck should arrive with these vital necessities in the afternoon of Sat., Sept. 6th.
Thanks not only goes out to the above named clubs but to a number of individuals and to these groups; Common Ground, Global Hope, St. Bernard Parish Project and the larger Hinsdale Central High School community. Many thanks!
I remain grateful for all those who support our various initiatives in New Orleans and, on behalf of each of you, am pleased to tell you that the fine people of NOLA are so appreciative of your constant support. This is a city, a people, and a country - where those who have been rendered powerless - can reach to our non-profit for aid.
Dick Flesher
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