RESTORE AND RENEW: Aid Spruce Pine Montessori School

Spruce Pine Montessori School is located in the heart of downtown Spruce Pine, one of many towns devastated by Hurricane Helene on September 27. An independent school and licensed child care program for students ages 13 months-12 years, SPMS is a resource for many of the surrounding rural communities. Our campus sustained significant tree damage, extended power loss, and flooding in two of our three buildings, damaging flooring, materials, and furniture.

Spruce Pine water and sewer systems were also destroyed in the storm, leaving us without potable water and sewer until late November. The infrastructure for town facilities remains fragile, so we continue to maintain heated restroom trailers and potable water tanks until we can be certain that the town sewer and water are stable.

In the midst of recovery from Hurricane Helene, we remained committed to our students, families, and staff. All staff members continued to be paid while our school was shuttered. While extremely fortunate that our Montessori students and families survived, many were unable to work, without transportation, or had significant damage at their homes. We offered each family in need tuition assistance, allowing all our students to continue their education and be surrounded by friends and teachers.

Our fundraising budget is 10% of our annual income. That 10% covers general operating costs, scholarships, and opportunities such as field trips and new materials. In a typical year we depend heavily on our local community for financial support, however, our community is still reeling from loss of homes, businesses, and inventory, making it feel impossible to ask them to give in this moment.

We are deeply grateful to those who have donated so generously- making it possible to offer financial assistance for tuition to our families, to make necessary repairs to reopen, and pay for the sanitation needs essential to our operations. And yet we are still faced with bridging this fundraising gap without our local community to sustain these efforts. We’re turning to our

wider community- to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends of our beloved students, to those who may have been unaffected by the storm- to help us reach our fundraising goal of $30,000. With all our needs rolled into this one fundraising campaign, this will be our main fundraising effort for this year.

You can make a difference in the lives of students and staff at Spruce Pine Montessori School, and by extension our greater community, helping us to sustain our mission for future students and families. This storm has shown us that together all things are possible, and we’re stronger for it!