Local association raises $9K to address food insecurity
04/23/2020
It’s great to share good news – especially when faced with current challenges. New Albany-Floyd County Education Association (NAFCEA) President Joy Lohmeyer shared how her local association is giving back to the community through a friendly competition between buildings.
This is the fifth or sixth year for our fundraiser. It started when then-association representative (AR) Stephanie Watson, from Fairmont Elementary, told the NAFCEA Representative Assembly (RA) about a $10,000 shortfall for Blessings in a Backpack. This organization provides kids with access to food, specifically on the days when they aren’t in school.
NAFCEA leadership had been looking for community service opportunities, and our local Feed to Read fundraiser was born. The fundraiser runs from Valentine’s Day through Read Across America Day, March 2. We emphasize that we have a heart for kids and know that students cannot learn if they face food insecurity.
For two weeks each spring, we fundraise for Blessings in a Backpack to send food home with students who need it. The first year we raised approximately $4,000. And each year since, we have raised $6,000 - $6,500 dollars. This year we raised $9,000!
The fundraiser is a competition between our buildings – this year our central office administrators joined in for some friendly competition. We send flyers to each building, and ARs spearhead the effort. We encourage a suggested donation of $10 per teacher, but people can donate or raise any amount.
We determine the building winners by taking the total amount raised per building and dividing it by the number of teachers in the building. This way any building – big or small – can be the winner.
Congratulations to Georgetown Elementary School! They have won this competition every year since its inception.
The winners this year are:
First place: Georgetown Elementary School
Second place: Slate Run Elementary School
Third place: Greenville Elementary School (Greenville has also been a top three finisher each year we have done this fundraiser!)
The real winners are the kids who receive needed nutritional support! Thanks to all the teachers who donated and made this year’s fundraiser our biggest success yet.
If your local is supporting your community, tell us! Email communications@ista-in.org or tag @ISTAmembers on social media and we’ll repost.