Teachers Helping Teachers

Hurricane Harvey is catastrophic for Houston.  The hardest hit will be the children. Thousands of children have lost their homes and everything they own.  One support system they have in place is our school system.  However, so many of our schools and teachers have been hit as well.   In addition to the basic necessities, teachers will need to be able to support their students with educational materials - books, classroom supplies, clothing for students, and necessities they can take to their shelter.  The funds raised will go directly to teachers in affected of Houston.  These districts include Alief ISD, Aldine ISD, Galena Park ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, Sheldon ISD, Dickinson ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Pearland ISD and Klein ISD.  

My name is Dawn Vinas, I live in Spring, Texas and I work with several Houston area school districts to support instruction.  In the Spring floods of 2016, I supported teachers in one school get back on their feet.  I witnessed the personal struggle of a first year teacher trying to cope with the loss of her car and home, and support the needs of her students who have done the same.  I was able to help her, and now I want to help others who are experiencing the same circumstances.  The scope of this disaster is overwhelming and need is drastic. I would like to raise $20,000 to support the teachers and students in these school districts.  My goal is to give the teachers access to funds by September 6th, as many are required to start school on that day. I The funds will be used to purchase new classroom materials and any other necessities required by the teachers and students.  I have contacts with district administrators and teachers in each of these affected areas that will serve as a liason for this project.

Thank you again!

September 2nd Update:  Thank you so much for supporting this fund.  Many of our schools have been delayed for another week and won't start until September 12th.  I will be withdrawing money from this account on Tuesday, September 6th and hand delivering it to Galena Park ISD and Alief ISD to purchase school supplies, backpacks and new uniforms for students and classroom materials for teachers.  These districts are both very grateful as they cannot use school funds to purchase materials such as these.  On September 11th, I will make another withdrawal for districts that have a later start date.  I have contacted the other school districts and I am awaiting a response.  As one teacher shared with me "It is like the start of school all over again! We have to buy supplies and clothes."