KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In an effort to alleviate stress on families already stretched thin by the pandemic, a group of Kansas City-area nonprofits banded together to uplift a dual-language community.
Around 100 students and their families piled into the Carver Dual Language School parking lot Tuesday, receiving words of encouragement, support and an early holiday gift.
“Just some breathing room, you know, times are just tough,” said Andrew Murphy, vice principal at Carver. “So many parents of our students have lost their jobs during the pandemic.”
Teach For America Kansas City Champions Board helped donate a stuffed animal, books and a gift card to a grocery store for the families who continue to be impacted.
“Whether it's a language barrier or a financial barrier, the pandemic has just magnified the inequity in our educational system in our city and in our country,” said Morgan Folliard, a fifth- and sixth-grade Spanish literacy teacher at Carver.
The drive-thru distribution also served as a rare in-person connection as the school continues remote learning.
“That is something I really realize I’m missing this year,” Folliard added. “Seeing their faces, it’s a reminder of why I do what I do.”
All gift bags will be distributed to Kansas City families served by TFA KC teachers. TFA KC serves more than 5,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade across more than 30 schools.
You can make a donation online here.
