According to Windham Teachers Association Union President Lisa Sampson, the time for giving is always present in the community, and WTA has put together A Fill-The-Bus charity drive, which runs from March 2 through March 12.
“It is very pivotal,” Sampson told The Weekly Villager on March 4. “The people that are in need in our community we are aware of. We see the need that we are trying to fill is usually at the holidays. People think that they are more cognizant that there is a need during the holidays but there is a need in our community year-round.”
The WTA is collecting canned and boxed foods as well as children’s clothing and apparel to feed and clothe families that are in need. The donations are being collected at the Board of Education Office at Windham High School and Katherine Thomas Elementary School. All donations will be accepted until March 12, and then placed in a bus and taken to the Windham Renaissance Center on March 13, where they will be delivered to the Salvation Army Food Room. The Salvation Army Clothing Room, will be available to families in need who frequently come to collect food and clothing for their households.
The WTA is also accepting cash donations and all funds will be donated to Windham’s student food pantry.
Sampson said that teachers in the Windham Exempted Village School District have noticed needy students that are lacking food and clothing, which prompted the WTA to hold a charity drive with sponsorship by the Ohio Education Association.
“We jumped on the opportunity because we knew that it would benefit our students and their families, not just at the holiday season but year-round and to make a difference and also show that our students are more to us than just student in a classroom. We are invested in our community, and we care deeply for them, and this is an opportunity for us to show up and show out in a large way,” she added.’
Sampson said that the issue of food scarcity and poverty is a real issue in several school districts across the State of Ohio but the WTA has made it a primary mission to lend the necessary support to students in need of clothing and food.
One of the WTA’s solutions for addressing the students’ needs is providing each student with a free breakfast and free lunch during school days.
“I think that automatically speaks to the fact that there is a need in the community and what we are trying to address is that there are more students than people would think that are in need,” she added.
Despite working in one of the smallest school districts in the State of Ohio, Sampson spoke of how most teachers in the Windham School District are afforded more opportunities to develop strong ties with their students to ensure that no child falls through the cracks.
“We are a small school district but the benefit of that is that our staff, because of the smallness of our student population and staff, we are able to develop really good relationships,” she noted. “Not just in the classroom as I said but beyond the classroom. We care about them and their families so we get the opportunity to know them in a better and deeper way. We are more aware of the needs that they may have in their families.”
In addition to the teachers being in a good position to identify students in need, Sampson highlighted the generosity of the teaching staff across the Windham Exempted Village School District. The staff is comprised of individuals who want to donate their time and efforts to helping students beyond the classroom.
“I think if you talk to any Windham teacher, they will tell you these children are more than just students and that is what we want to do,” she said. “We have families that have had cancer come into the family; the teachers immediately want to do whatever we can to provide support. We have had people who have had fires in the district and people just show up.”
