Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to the Hinsdale Central High School Freshman English I Honors classes about helping people and schools in need. It really was a pleasure to see so many students engaged relative to learning about ways in which they can help various charities or non-profits.
I shared stories of our trips to New Orleans schools and our efforts to help rebuild IMN School in Darbonne, Haiti. Aside from the stories we took a look at a number of slides centered around conditions in Haiti. This stimulated lots of discussion and questions.
By the end of the day a surprise awaited me! Lauren Otahal, one of the Frosh English I Honors teachers, presented me with a $320 check. Lauren's four classes had been donating money over the past couple of weeks in order to help Schools Count Corp. Each time candy was purchased the students would donate some funds.
Needless to say I was flattered that the students would consider SCC and that they were able to generate this amount of money. I am truly grateful for the donation. I asked the students if I could use the money to buy coats for Curtis Elementary School in Chicago. They thought this was a wonderful idea. Within the next week or so I will buy the winter coats and deliver them to Curtis.
Thanks HC!
Dick
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
SCC News
Haiti: Though Hurricane Tomas wreaked a degree of havoc on the western portion of Haiti, the damage was not as severe as anticipated. Certainly Port-au-Prince missed the brunt of the storm. The area most affected was around Leogane, an area that was nearly 90% destroyed following the Jan. 2010 earthquake. The greatest worry now is that the run off waters and flooding could exacerbate the cholera situation.
Cholera: As of today nearly 440 people have died from the cholera outbreak and another 6400 remain hospitalized. Though many relief agencies feel the situation is largely in check, the recent floods from Tomas almost will certainly make containing the disease that much more difficult.
Coats for Curtis: We need all sorts of winter jackets and coats, excluding red ones, for our "Coats for Curtis" drive. Please contact me if you have a coat (for a boy or girl) that would fit someone who is 5 to 14 in age. Just shoot me an email at rich219@comcast.net and we can make arrangements for me to pick up the coat. I know the children, and their parents, would be most grateful for any help you can give them as we approach winter.
Many thanks,
Dick
Cholera: As of today nearly 440 people have died from the cholera outbreak and another 6400 remain hospitalized. Though many relief agencies feel the situation is largely in check, the recent floods from Tomas almost will certainly make containing the disease that much more difficult.
Coats for Curtis: We need all sorts of winter jackets and coats, excluding red ones, for our "Coats for Curtis" drive. Please contact me if you have a coat (for a boy or girl) that would fit someone who is 5 to 14 in age. Just shoot me an email at rich219@comcast.net and we can make arrangements for me to pick up the coat. I know the children, and their parents, would be most grateful for any help you can give them as we approach winter.
Many thanks,
Dick
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Funding for New Orleans
I have some fantastic news on the fundraising front. Yesterday I received notification that Schools Count Corp., NFP has received a $5,000.00 grant from The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation. The funds are being provided for our August 2011 trip to New Orleans. The contribution will be used to buy supplies for the children we assist in the various schools.
This is the first grant SCC has received during the existence of SCC. It is the hope of everyone involved that this will be the first of many foundations stepping up to aid the cause of education in schools that most need the help.
I am most grateful to the Board of Trustees of The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation for placing their trust in our work. At the same time, I want to assure the foundation that Schools Count will make the best use possible of the funds.
Many thanks,
Dick
This is the first grant SCC has received during the existence of SCC. It is the hope of everyone involved that this will be the first of many foundations stepping up to aid the cause of education in schools that most need the help.
I am most grateful to the Board of Trustees of The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation for placing their trust in our work. At the same time, I want to assure the foundation that Schools Count will make the best use possible of the funds.
Many thanks,
Dick
Friday, November 5, 2010
Alarming Facts and Trends
Let me give you some of the cold, hard facts concerning some alarming trends relative to what is happening in America which have clear implications relative to the work of Schools Count Corp.
51,000,000 Americans lack health insurance and 44,000,000 Americans (1 in 7) lived in poverty. Sadly, these numbers are staggering and growing! Children, who come from families living under such conditions, are more likely to go to school hungry, less properly clothed and without the resources they need to be successful in the classroom.
Tragically, 2% of all children in this country are homeless. In some respects the school serves as a home for these innocent victims of blight, poverty and neglect. School, therefore, becomes a home of safety, a place of warmth and caring as well as the place where they receive an education.
These are but a few of the conditions which exist that make it all the more imperative for government and non-government agencies to step up, not cut back on funding, and work to help those in need. Schools Count will continue to assist those bright-eyed first graders, eager fourth students, and those who are trying to make a better lives for themselves by gaining a decent education.
I appreciate those of you who are willing to join this worthwhile struggle.
Many thanks,
Dick
51,000,000 Americans lack health insurance and 44,000,000 Americans (1 in 7) lived in poverty. Sadly, these numbers are staggering and growing! Children, who come from families living under such conditions, are more likely to go to school hungry, less properly clothed and without the resources they need to be successful in the classroom.
Tragically, 2% of all children in this country are homeless. In some respects the school serves as a home for these innocent victims of blight, poverty and neglect. School, therefore, becomes a home of safety, a place of warmth and caring as well as the place where they receive an education.
These are but a few of the conditions which exist that make it all the more imperative for government and non-government agencies to step up, not cut back on funding, and work to help those in need. Schools Count will continue to assist those bright-eyed first graders, eager fourth students, and those who are trying to make a better lives for themselves by gaining a decent education.
I appreciate those of you who are willing to join this worthwhile struggle.
Many thanks,
Dick
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Coats for Curtis
Over recent days, as the temps drop, it again comes to mind that many of the students we serve in New Orleans, and particularly in Chicago, will be in need of some coats as we head into late fall and early winter.
Hinsdale Central High School's Amnesty International and the Humanitarian Army clubs are collecting winter coats for Curtis Elementary School in Chicago over the next two weeks. They are collecting both within the school and throughout the community. This is a terrific service project and the personnel at Curtis are thrilled that we are helping.
I want to reach out to you to see if you can help these two fine clubs come up with some coats. If you have a coat that would fit a 5 yr. old to a 14 yr. old and, that is in great condition, we would be appreciative of such a donation. We are not able to take any sort of red coat per guidelines provided by the staff at Curtis.
I will pick up coats in the area on Wednesday, Nov. 17th. Simply give me your address and I will be there at a time convenient for both of us. Contact me at rich219@comcast.net and we'll make arrangements for me to pick up the coat(s). All the coats will be delivered to Curtis prior to Thanksgiving. I am sure the students and parents will be thankful for our concern and support.
Your generosity is most appreciated!!
Many thanks,
Dick
Hinsdale Central High School's Amnesty International and the Humanitarian Army clubs are collecting winter coats for Curtis Elementary School in Chicago over the next two weeks. They are collecting both within the school and throughout the community. This is a terrific service project and the personnel at Curtis are thrilled that we are helping.
I want to reach out to you to see if you can help these two fine clubs come up with some coats. If you have a coat that would fit a 5 yr. old to a 14 yr. old and, that is in great condition, we would be appreciative of such a donation. We are not able to take any sort of red coat per guidelines provided by the staff at Curtis.
I will pick up coats in the area on Wednesday, Nov. 17th. Simply give me your address and I will be there at a time convenient for both of us. Contact me at rich219@comcast.net and we'll make arrangements for me to pick up the coat(s). All the coats will be delivered to Curtis prior to Thanksgiving. I am sure the students and parents will be thankful for our concern and support.
Your generosity is most appreciated!!
Many thanks,
Dick
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Elections, Taxes, and Schools
The day after another election and the results are in, not just for elected offices, but, for a whole host of assorted referendums. I live in a elementary school district where a referendum was, again, narrowly defeated. Mind you, this district hasn't passed one for over thirty years so it's not as if the district is filling up its coffers. No doubt, many cuts will be made, most will ultimately hurt students.
All this brings me to taxes. I find it hard to swallow our progressive income tax system that really sticks it to the middle class in terms of what they pay and are left with to meet today's needs. Though I understand property taxes are the primary means of funding education, I'm left amazed that federal funding of education, through revamping the tax brackets, can't be achieved so that schools aren't cutting programs.
One may have their opinion on this matter but that shouldn't be clouded by hard facts. Here's what I mean. As of Nov. 3, 2010 a four person family making $85,000 will be taxed at 28% meaning, if the itemized deductions are relatively the same for other taxpayers, that person will pay $23,800 in taxes. The family will be left with $61,200 to live on for the year. Another family of four making $375,000 is in the 33% tax bracket and will pay $123,750 in taxes, leaving them with an income of $251,250. Finally, a family of four earning $1,000,000 per year is taxed at 35% meaning, they will pay $350,000 in taxes. They will have $650,000 to live on for the rest of the year. By the way, it is typical for the higher income earners to lower their taxable income resulting in fewer taxes but, for the sake of this argument lets say their itemized deduction levels are on similar ground.
Don't you think that a family of four is going to have more of a struggle to make ends meet by living on $61,200 compared to a family the has $650,000 to live on? Of course they are!!!
That's why when it comes to education funding (and funding of other programs) I keep thinking about a number of questions. First, how much money do people really need to live on? I also wonder if people with hundreds of thousands of disposable dollars consider it as a moral imperative to 'go above and beyond' so that we aren't cutting education programs that, in the long run, are good for the whole group.
I think that as a country we can adequately fund needed programs, such as education, and still leave people with plenty of disposable income if we want to. It isn't just politicians that need political will, the citizens with the means to do so, have to demonstrate the same courage to act on behalf of the greater good.
Dick Flesher
All this brings me to taxes. I find it hard to swallow our progressive income tax system that really sticks it to the middle class in terms of what they pay and are left with to meet today's needs. Though I understand property taxes are the primary means of funding education, I'm left amazed that federal funding of education, through revamping the tax brackets, can't be achieved so that schools aren't cutting programs.
One may have their opinion on this matter but that shouldn't be clouded by hard facts. Here's what I mean. As of Nov. 3, 2010 a four person family making $85,000 will be taxed at 28% meaning, if the itemized deductions are relatively the same for other taxpayers, that person will pay $23,800 in taxes. The family will be left with $61,200 to live on for the year. Another family of four making $375,000 is in the 33% tax bracket and will pay $123,750 in taxes, leaving them with an income of $251,250. Finally, a family of four earning $1,000,000 per year is taxed at 35% meaning, they will pay $350,000 in taxes. They will have $650,000 to live on for the rest of the year. By the way, it is typical for the higher income earners to lower their taxable income resulting in fewer taxes but, for the sake of this argument lets say their itemized deduction levels are on similar ground.
Don't you think that a family of four is going to have more of a struggle to make ends meet by living on $61,200 compared to a family the has $650,000 to live on? Of course they are!!!
That's why when it comes to education funding (and funding of other programs) I keep thinking about a number of questions. First, how much money do people really need to live on? I also wonder if people with hundreds of thousands of disposable dollars consider it as a moral imperative to 'go above and beyond' so that we aren't cutting education programs that, in the long run, are good for the whole group.
I think that as a country we can adequately fund needed programs, such as education, and still leave people with plenty of disposable income if we want to. It isn't just politicians that need political will, the citizens with the means to do so, have to demonstrate the same courage to act on behalf of the greater good.
Dick Flesher
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Arresting Cholera in Haiti
I have tried to check various news sources, and some direct contacts in Haiti, to get a sense of what is happening with the cholera outbreak. The good news is that it seems, for the time being, that the disease is not spreading and that the number of people affected is not growing. All that being said, people can carry cholera for days without knowing it and, in the meantime, they could inadvertly spread it. Let's hope not.
Relative to IMN School in Darbonne, Haiti, the region where we helped to rebuild the school, the news is even better. John Engle of Haiti Partners, who was on the scene late last week, reports no cases of cholera...thank goodness. He also had the sense that the probability of its spread may be diminishing. This is again good news.
Having traveled to Haiti this past spring I got a sense of the degree unclean (unsafe) drinking water. Quite simply, it is staggering. Where there are water holes, filth is everywhere. The main river in Haiti is polluted beyond belief. People do their wash in this river, bathe, and get drinking water. Among all the staggering issues haunting this island nation few problems are as paramount as obtaining clean water.
Relative to IMN School in Darbonne, Haiti, the region where we helped to rebuild the school, the news is even better. John Engle of Haiti Partners, who was on the scene late last week, reports no cases of cholera...thank goodness. He also had the sense that the probability of its spread may be diminishing. This is again good news.
Having traveled to Haiti this past spring I got a sense of the degree unclean (unsafe) drinking water. Quite simply, it is staggering. Where there are water holes, filth is everywhere. The main river in Haiti is polluted beyond belief. People do their wash in this river, bathe, and get drinking water. Among all the staggering issues haunting this island nation few problems are as paramount as obtaining clean water.
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