Image Source: Sonya Romero
The story of Albuquerque teacher Sonya Romero and her kindergarten class has touched more souls than either of us ever imagined.
In the days since I first wrote about Romero and her efforts to help her impoverished students, some six-dozen people have sent her emails, many offering donations to her class.
Frankly, I was amazed that my own emails to Romero didn’t get lost amid all the supportive messages, but happily, she did write back to me when I asked her how she felt about all the messages of support.
“I am beyond humbled,” she said. “I can’t express what this has done to my spirit and my hope in humanity! People caring is beautiful.”
The outpouring is especially remarkable because I never published Romero’s contact information, let alone the name of her elementary school. (The Washington Post initially quoted Romero in a January article on poverty among public school students; readers who did a little digging would have found Romero’s school, Lew Wallace Elementary, noted there.)
Romero says she’s heard from people not just here in the U.S. but from as far away as New Zealand. Some shared their own stories about important teachers in their lives and offered “beautiful words of encouragement” for what she does every day, which includes helping her kindergarteners clean up with wet wipes if they come to school dirty and giving them clean socks and underwear from a dedicated drawer in her classroom.
“I must always say that I am no exception to anyone or anything … teachers all over do this,” she said.
Offers of donations have made up the bulk of the messages to Romero and at least one person has established a fundraising page to benefit Romero’s kindergarten class. Elaina Haley, a Florida mom with no previous ties to Romero, told me she hopes to raise money through her GoFundMe page so that Romero can afford even more supplies and perhaps extracurricular experiences. One other fundraising website, by a London-based charity, is also in the works.
The majority of the students in Romero’s class, as The Post reported, are poor enough to qualify for free school lunch.
“Mostly people are asking what I (we) need and I am suggesting basic needs such as socks, underwear, toothbrushes, deodorants, combs, sweat pants or shirts … basic items and toiletries. I have shared with these amazing people that simple items go a very long way,” Romero said. Several boxes, she continued, have already arrived, leading to “(s)oooo many happy faces and happy families!”
While Romero is grateful for donations, she’s also encouraging those moved by her story to consider helping other teachers and schools in need. If you want to make a difference for a school near you, here are her suggestions:
Ask Local Teachers What They Need
“Any teacher that teaches in areas of high need or poverty can tell you exactly what supplies they need or how their students can best be supported so I encourage people to ask their local teachers and reach out to districts to find out what schools are in need of what supplies. For example, many schools districts have clothing banks for their students that are stocked only by donations. Also, educators sometimes have kick-starter drives for books or supplies where the public can donate to classrooms. Ask. Ask. Ask … WE NEED YOU,” she wrote.
Donate Online
Some who are eager to contribute to schools in need find themselves facing a surprising hurdle — not all schools readily take donations.
Romero acknowledged that that can be a problem, but noted there are alternate ways to help through websites such as the teacher-serving site DonorsChoose and the general fundraising site GoFundMe. The latter has a dedicated “education” category for would-be donors specifically looking to help schools.
Volunteer
Those driven to help can also choose to volunteer at schools — as long as they’re willing to grapple with red tape, such as undergoing background checks, to do it.
“I understand it is cumbersome but the safety of kids is also our responsibility. BUT it would be so welcomed if more people would volunteer. Just even a few minutes with a caring adult does wonders for the spirit so many of my children,” she said.
Educate Yourself, Raise Awareness, and Vote
Romero says it’s important to recognize that poverty exists and that it’s not isolated in any particular geographic region.
“More often than not, we are gladly paying for basic supplies so our most vulnerable children can feel successful because they too, deserve that,” she wrote. But with more than half of all public school students now living in poverty, “(i)t is becoming increasing more difficult so we heavily rely on public support to speak up and share our children’s stories, to vote, and know who and what we are voting for.”