WEST COUNTY'S SUPPORT MADE HOLIDAY MAGIC FOR VERDE SCHOOL!
We thank the community for supporting North Richmond children
The 2015 Verde Elementary School Book & Hoodie Drive was a big success, and the children and I thank you for your generous support.
Thanks to the outpouring of support from local residents and businesses, we were able to provide a book and specially made hoodie to every student at the school -- about 350!
Last Friday, we hosted the event at the school with the help of parents, teachers and volunteers. Classes came into the library one at a time to get a hoodie, a book and a chat with Santa Claus. (Leo Jackson -- brother of the late great community advocate Fred Jackson)
Verde Elementary School is located in North Richmond and nearly all its families are very low income.
This year -- the 17th consecutive year we've sponsored this drive -- every student's hoodie wasprinted with the words "Think you Can. Work Hard. Get Smart." The green and gold hoodies are now part of the school uniform. They were purchased from a local Richmond business, Leftside Printing.
We raised a substantial amount of funds for Verde at our office's community Holiday Party earlier this month. Over 100 community members came and enjoyed delicious food and fun conversation. Most brought a donation for the kids in North Richmond! Here's a photo gallery of the fun, captured by our friend and talented local photographer Rita Xavier --
please click here.
Special thanks to area businesses that provided the snacks and decor, Galaxy Desserts of Richmond, Cindy Gershen and her culinary students at Mt. Diablo High School, and Mike Vukelich for the vibrant Poinsettias.
West County READS!, a local literacy nonprofit, provided the books.
Thanks to Neighborhood House of North Richmond for serving as the fiscal agent on this project.
