March 18, 2022
One of the great things about the Greenville community is the way it pulls together when there is a need. A recent example is how a $5,000 donation from the L3Harris Engineering Department touched the lives of five families.
"When we received the donation, we had no idea how far it would go," GISD Parent Involvement Facilitator Whitney Threatt said. "Almost immediately, we learned about several families in need."
Here are the stories about each family:
- In February, a Greenville ISD family lost everything they owned in a house fire and funds were used to purchase household essentials, including pots, pans, dishes, a vacuum cleaner, tool kit and batteries. These items couldn’t have come at a better time for the family. The day before, the family was able to temporarily move into a townhome just across the street from their damaged home. Now, they can monitor the progress of the restoration and rebuild. The mother, Amy, shared that her daughter, Lamar third-grader Carmella, asked on the morning of the delivery if the family could finally enjoy a home-cooked dinner together that evening. Instead of ordering fast food as she had done since the Feb. 5 fire, Amy was able to prepare a home-cooked meal for her family using the donated kitchen items. At Carmella's request, Amy prepared smoked sausage, green beans, macaroni, salad, and croissants.
- Three families received mattresses and other household necessities the week before Christmas. The Hoskins family received two twin-sized mattresses to complete their bunkbed.
- Two other GISD families received cooking ranges just before Spring Break. The Corrall family is looking forward to warming tortillas on the center griddle insert on their new gas range.
A special thank you to Boxdrop Mattresses owner Mario Bueso, a GISD graduate, who provided the mattresses at a steep discount.
This is just one of the many ways GISD's PRIDE Center is helping GISD families. Other programs under the PRIDE Center umbrella include:
- The Teacher's Supply Closet, which provides school supplies to teachers and their students
- The Family Health Connection with Carevide, which provides affordable healthcare for GISD students and their family members
- Parent University, which offers free classes ranging from computer skills to language classes.
- An excellent eight-minute course on "Hidden Apps," taught by Amy Ramsey, Director of Community and Education Outreach for the Hunt County Children's Advocacy Center.
If you would like to make a difference in the lives of Greenville ISD students and their families by donating to the PRIDE fund, please contact Whitney Threatt at threattw@greenvilleisd.com or (903) 494-8922.
