Anacortes Rotary has stepped up in a big way to help students stay safe, healthy and learning this spring — and lessen the impact the coronavirus is having on students’ regular schooling since they can’t be in their classrooms.
On April 27, our club presented a $2,500 check to the Anacortes Schools Foundation to fund the great work Carrie Worra and others are doing through a new program - School To Go. The club’s $1,250 contribution was generously matched by District 5050, which is providing matching grants to clubs around the region to help combat the effects of the coronavirus.
“Thank you so much Rotary for advocating for our most financially insecure families,” Carrie said. “I am beyond thrilled to be able to supply these students with a little extra support during this difficult time.”
“We have struggled to raise funds quickly for this project, so Rotary is truly saving the day,” Carrie said.
School To Go is funded entirely through new, targeted contributions to the Anacortes Schools Foundation. Rotary’s support ensures it will continue into June.
The Schools Foundation began the School To Go Program to provide educational support, including school, craft and basic household supplies, to families currently enrolled in the Food to Go weekend food program. It targets the most food insecure families in the school district who are at the same time the ones most likely to be most adversely affected by the school closures.
Bags contain an inviting mix of school and craft supplies - items like colored pencils, science experiment books, math learning cards, Word Find pads, modeling clay, sketch pads and sudoku puzzle books. The bags are individually packed with materials appropriate to students’ age and grade level.
The first delivery was March 30. The most recent monthly delivery was April 27, when pre-bagged supplies bags went out to about 55 students in 35 homes.
Assisting with delivery in April were Rotarians Maddy MacKenzie, Marta McClintock and Dan Worra. The next and final delivery is May 25.
