Help This Small School in Louisiana

(I've been pondering how to write this post for a few days now...It's more important than my usual random posts of blogging. I want to make it right. )

I want you to read below about this elementary school located nearly at the end of the road in Louisiana...just before the waterline of the Gulf Coast. And see if there's anything you can do to help. They need it.

Pointe-Aux-Chenes Elementary School is situated in Montegut, Louisiana. That's in the heart of the gulf region devasted first by Hurricane Katrina, then again and severely by Hurricane Rita a few weeks later. The school is 5-6 miles from the gulf. So, you can imagine the damage done to a school 5 miles from the waterline, built in 1930's and built with Cedar. But still only a week after Hurricane Rita ripped through Dawn Lafont, the school's principal with volunteers from their community, were able to reopen school one week later.

The school, with 70% of its 179 children living below the poverty line, has largely been ignored by relief agencies. It's been their community coming together over a weekend that allowed the school to re-open one week after Hurricane Rita came ashore.  See video of the Levee directly behind the school and the water level from Hurricane Rita.

And now some out-of-town strangers including us have literally found this school and its principal Dawn Lafont. We'd like to ask you readers to help this school also. 

When we spoke on the phone with Mrs. Lafont she told us of their needs and the real identity of their community.

First, their needs:

* Teaching supplies. In short, they had none. Teaching supplies here mean...staplers, manila folders, colored paper, hanging file folders, stick-it notes, pens, notepads, etc.

* Filing. Filing cabinets from which they can hang their files, plastic bins with drawers that float and don't mildew..Very practical is Mrs. Lafont. She also laughed and said they first need teaching supplies to file. Hence her first request was for teaching supplies. And THEN filing cabinets.

* Furniture. As per the above, they have none. They need teacher's desks and chairs.

* Magnetic White Boards. She gave such an inspiring story about how teachers use magnetic whiteboards to show children how they can create their own sentences with magnetic letters to make words and rearranging the words. It's much more interactive, fun, engaging, tactile, real. The child gets to do it themselves; it makes it their accomplishment.

* Childrens' Desks. Yep. They need 'em. Lots of them.

* Books. Suzi Furuya from California is organizing a book drive. At last count she's got 200-300 books. Her story's very inspiring.

But, Mrs. Lafont correct me here, I understood her to say there's a comp curriculum requirement that insists on a list of 50 specific books per grade.

* Children's toys. With many families sharing homes, many jobs eliminated from the thousands of businesses closed...and with 70% of the children below the poverty line...well Christmas would be a great time to brighten their day with toys.

Now, the community stories. 

I think this community is a source of many great and wonderful stories of how a community pulled together in crisis. You already heard about how the residents, volunteers and the teachers, came together to reopen the flooded school in one week.

* Scholarship Fund.  Even before Hurrican Rita arrived this community showed a truly open and giving nature. The schoolchildren arranged a quarter-drive to gather $250 in quarters to fund a scholarship honoring one of their neighbors who died in Iraq. Remember: 70% below the poverty line and here were the kids donating quarters for a scholarship.

But then AFTER the hurricanes the kids arranged for a penny-drive. They collected $649 worth of pennies to further expand this scholarship. Remember: 70% below the poverty line before the hurricane. Now AFTER the hurricane they're sharing homes, there's no jobs, some of the kids new clothes, winter's coming and they find $649 in the community to help fund a scholarship.

People, this is what community is about!

There are other stories. But we'll save them for later posts.

What we did

We still had $1200 in matching company donations from our employee donations we wanted to use to help those in the Gulf.

A week ago I realized a few things: 1) people in the gulf region continue to need help. FEMA will cease providing housing funds on December 1, just in time for winter (ok ok. I'll stop here.); 2) we have customers in the Gulf. Why not ask THEM what THEY need or if THEY know of people in need.

And I finally connected the dots. Call the customers, even now, and offer to help THEM, THEIR FAMILY, THEIR COMPANY, THEIR COMMUNITY.

So I did.

Patrick Schoen of Veeder Corporation, a long-time customer, pointed me to Mrs. Dawn Lafont and the Pointe-Aux-Chenes Elementary school.

I called her this week. After a few phone calls here's what we did:

1) Used up our donation and more! We as a company bought teaching supplies and magnetic white boards. 17 magnetic white boards for 17 teachers. They'll have the supplies by Monday, November 21. They'll have the whiteboards within a week after that. ( The inspiring story from Mrs. Lafont inspired everyone in the company to come forward with another round of donations. We're happy to match those, too.) The Quill Corporation gave us a 20% discount on the order when they heard of its purpose.

2) Redirecting our Marketing Budget. Normally, we award customers with flowers or starbucks' gift cards when they refer a prospect to us. We'll instead redirect those funds to the Pointe-Aux-Chienes Elementary School. But, we'll notify each customer explaining how we bought a desk or book instead of flowers or a starbucks gift card on their behalf for the students at Pointes-Aux-Chienes Elementary School.

And we'll do that for the normal awards we also provide to customers when their referrals become customers.

3) Contacted Others. We've shared Mrs. Lafont's needs with our in-person social network. They've responded with offers to help find the books and the furniture. They've offered to donate more funds. They're talking to their friends. The nephew of our treasurer lives in Nebraska. He's wanting to adopt the local boy scout troop so his boy scout troop can donate supplies.

4) Now I'm asking you: What can you do?

They still need Teacher's desks, Children's desks, the comp curriculum books. I'd be willing to bet they need paint and sheetrock, etc., too. 

We'll speak with Mrs. Lafont next week and go over some options for desks, children's and teachers, and also books. 

We think we can arrange for a discounted price for children's desk that make it affordable for individuals to purchase a desk. Sort of a Buy a Desk type program.

Then we'll have an idea of how to use the added donations and redirected Marketing Budget for these specific needs, moving forward.

Mrs. Lafont has a lot on her plate. I'm not sure that lots of individual calls to her are the best idea.

We're not control freaks. This project takes a lot of staff time, even now. But, I think it makes sense to leave her to focus on her children and community. You can contact me with ideas on how you can help. 877-227-0611, ext. 12 or email.

Again, if you feel to contact her directly, or are inspired by a particular idea..run with it.  I'd love in one sense to see lots of responses. On the other hand, I'd love to burden Mrs. Lafont with supplies, not phone calls.

A few thank-you's.

* Everyone here in the company. I want to thank everyone here in the company for their very inspiring response to this story. Everyone's contributed ideas, actions, funds. Thank you.

* Patrick Schoen. Thank you Patrick for putting us in contact with Mrs. Lafont.

* Mrs. Lafont. Thank you Mrs. Lafont and your staff and the community of Montagu. You are an inspiration to each of us. You say you've been blessed many ways within your community. Well, we've been blessed finding you and your inspiration for children, teaching, your community and helping others. We'll be in touch.