Mission Accomplished!

On Friday, August 7th, nearly 30 volunteers arrived at our Mokena home to load trucks bound for Katrina ravaged schools in New Orleans. Beginning at 7:30AM they helped palletize, wrap and load 70 pallets worth of used and new school supplies and equipment for 23 New Orleans public schools. We filled two 53’ semi’s, a 26’ and 22’ rental trucks. By 4PM when we finished, everything was sorted by school and loaded. We want to thank the generous donors including the local schools for their assistance in collecting used items and keeping them out of landfills.

A big thank you goes out to Berkot’s for their assistance and to the following who assisted on the 7th: Sarah Steinke, Peggy Lutter, Hanna McClard, Eileen O’Donoghue, Zack and Denise McClard, Jake and Zack Davy, John Hill, Kyle and Rodger Rottmann, Chris Wilbur, Laura Milas, Liz and Lexi Oreluk, Linda Hurt, Dylan Canavan, Justin and Kelly Cronin, Timur Akman-Duffy, Steve Eich, Bill Zoetveldt, Carol and Kurt Smith, Ed Lynch, Nancy Schussler, Marcus Lindsey, and Ethan, Jaelynn and Valerie Ruth.

The commitment and support we have received allowed us, L. Serwat (Hinsdale), B. Feldman (Lemont), K. Parks (Cedar Lake, IN), A. & S. Hardenbol (Houston, TX), and several volunteers from the New Orleans area, to deliver these supplies to help over 10,000 children start the school year off with basic supplies. Not only were we able to deliver pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, folders, etc. but generous donations of textbooks, music instruments, and school uniforms also made their way into the hands of the students.

Following our return, additional supplies were donated to Kellar School in Robbins, IL. Again, we were overwhelmed by the generosity of those around us as we continue to aid those less fortunate. Thank you, Schools Count Corp., Dick Flesher

See you on Friday!

Thanks to all the volunteers who responded, we are looking forward to seeing you on Friday to help sort, palletize and load. As we speak we are still out picking up supplies your generous donations have made possible for purchase. We couldn't do this without you!

Our deliveries to New Orleans schools will be next week and we will be delivering to over 20 schools. We have been contacted by an RSD curriculum coordinator who we have worked with before, she is looking for textbooks for Algebra, Biology and Environmental Science. So we have been searching the area and were able to "rescue" some textbooks from SCARCE in Glen Ellyn. So in addition to school supplies we are delivering 2 pallets of textbooks as well as band instruments and weight lifting equipment! Additionally, we purchased over 100 games which were requested by schools for students on days when they cannot go outside for recess.

Thank you all for all your help and hard work. This week we have purchased and boxed over 200 school uniforms, made delivery schedules, contacted schools, contacted volunteers, made signs for pallets, picked up games and boxed and labeled those, prepared receipts for the schools. So much going on!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We have wrapped up the hours of sorting, labeling and organizing and are now in need of volunteers. We invite you to help us supply 22 New Orleans Area Schools this August. We are desperately in need of labor! On Friday, August 7th we will be organizing, palletizing and loading supplies onto 3 - 22' Rental trucks and a semi. We need help this day to get everything on the trucks. It is fun, we provide lunch and you will be helping thousands of NOLA students.

Additionally due to additional donations (YEAH) we are still in need of a volunteer to assist in driving one of the 22' trucks down to NOLA on Sunday August 9th. You could help us deliver to schools on the 10th and 11th and then we return home on the 11th or 12th.

If you are interested in going to NOLA, hotel accommodations and travel costs are covered. It is a great opportunity to help so many who desperately need it and who count on us.

We can't continue to do this without your help. Please contact Dick Flesher at rich219@comcast.net if you are interested in assisting in either way.

Thank you!

Sorting Supplies Bound for NOLA 09

The past couple of months have been spent diligently organizing, arranging, picking up, sorting, counting, and packaging used school supplies. The efforts have been continuous. Several days involved renting a 16' truck, driving to multiple schools, loading boxes, coming home, unloading, returning truck and then spending the night sorting and organizing. Try spending hours digging through crayons, pencils, pens, and glue!

As well as ripping out used pages in notebooks and boxing and counting them. Cleaning out folders, organizing teacher supplies, sorting books, etc. The efforts have been enormous and well worth it. To date we have collected the following gently used supplies that would have otherwise ended up in landfills! Please take a moment to recognize the schools listed for their efforts in organizing and collecting these items!

To Date these schools have provided:

over 8,000 folders

4,000 spirals

20 boxes of glue

over 100,000 sheets of loose leaf paper

2,600 binders

14 large boxes of crayons

16 large boxes of colored markers

over 10,000 pens and pencils

numerous art supplies

backpacks

music instruments, and more.

Schools Count to the Rescue in Galveston

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

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.

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