Dear Friends,
We are collaborators who are focused on making an impact in the lives of the students we serve. We pride ourselves on sharing resources with schools and other non-profits for the greater good especially during these trying times. What is our biggest need right now? Volunteers. People’s time. Your time.
Over the last 6 months we have not stopped working for our students despite the difficulties that COVID-19 has imposed on all of us.
This is why we need people like you, who are invested in student success and the future of our communities! Volunteering will look a lot different, but it is more important now than ever. Investing your time in serving students can make a world of difference in their lives.
Throughout this month’s newsletter, you will find out how volunteers are one of our most needed resources as we serve students and their schools in new ways. Hopefully, you will also find the inspiration to join us on our mission to provide Spokane County students with a community of support.
Supporting students. Supporting schools. Supporting communities.
Sincearly,
Chuck Teegarden,
Executive Director
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Shadle Food Distribution Team |
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“When we were working with CIS this summer it was never about me. It was about showing up for our community when they needed us. That’s what CIS does, shows up for those that need them and that’s why I’m truly grateful to be involved with an organization making such an impact,” says Laryana Yevtushuk, one of our volunteers who showed up regularly during the Fresh and Frozen food distributions.
Larayna, and Shannon Tenney, are a dynamic duo. Both are professional women with a heart for their community. Since April they have been regulars at the Shadle Food Distribution site where we hand out Fresh and Frozen food boxes from 2nd Harvest to upwards of 120 families a week. They would show up during their lunch hour and jump right in directing traffic, stuffing cars with boxes of food and even driving the box truck in the summer. Their smiling faces and cheery personalities were a delight for everyone to work with on those Thursday afternoons.
“It was a truly rewarding experience working with CIS this summer. Families would come by and pick up food for their elderly neighbors and single working mothers. Those without cars would walk up and grab boxes to carry home. It was so great to see our community come together to help those in need.” -Shannon Tenney.
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Second Harvest will continue Food Distributions at Shadle High School and Sunset Elementary School through the December. Volunteers are needed in order for us to continue serving our community with this great service!
If you're interested please click HERE to sign up!
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Community Partners
Making a Difference
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Numerica Credit Union & Golden Eagle Insurance |
Typically, parents and students are eager for a new school year to begin. There is an excited buzz in households and a chance for new beginnings.
In the past, through our annual Tools2Schools effort with KREM2, CDA Casino and volunteers we raised money to purchase supplies and stuff backpacks for thousands of students all over Spokane County and N. Idaho. This year our effort looks quite a bit different. Serving students is at the heart of what we do, and we realize that traditional school supplies may not be the most important need. Students are required by their districts to learn on-line. We know that students in low-income households may not have internet connections which makes online learning an inequitable practice.
After a lot of brainstorming, collaboration and research we have decided to participate in an exciting pilot program to deliver free WiFi to North East Youth Center and West Central Community Center through Lokket. With the money rasied from Tool2Schools we are purchasing headphones and earbuds as well as traditional school supplies to support students.
Numerica Credit Union and Golden Eagle Insurance have been very generous by matching up to $15,000 in donations received.
Click HERE to show your support for Spokane County students.
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A Spotlight on Success
Summer camps of all shapes and sizes have been a staple of the American summer. Children and parents alike prepare in anticipation for the few weeks filled with fun, excitement, and learning. For obvious reasons, things have run a little differently this year.
One of our longest standing, and exciting summer programs we participate in is with the middle schools we serve in the Cheney School District. When it was forced online, some great discoveries came out of navigating the world of online summer enrichment.
Facilitators Kurt Bishop, and Justin Farley, CIS Site Coordinator at Cheney Middle School, were excited to give students some exposure to full online learning in hopes of making the transition easier for the beginning of the school year. The program consisted of incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who were given boxes with supplies for a mix of individual and group projects.
For Justin, this was a chance to connect with current caseload students, as well as incoming caseload students. This connection allowed him to start assessing their needs and figuring out ways to best serve them now that face to face interactions will be lessened. Justin is also excited about learning new ways to connect with and serve students. This was more important than ever for summer enrichment programs, especially those online. Because of this importance, Communities In Schools of Spokane County worked with our school partners to provide online programming for the students of Spokane County.
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Maria Teter
North Pines Middle School Site Coordinator
Maria has recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Applied Developmental Psychology. Maria has experience coaching, mentoring, and leading students of all ages. She has previously worked with non-profits and spent time as an intern at Family Promise of Spokane. She is passionate about serving others in the community and encouraging students to push their potential!
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Melody Chang
Board Member
Melody is heavily involved in many aspects of the Spokane arts and music scene. She is also the Content Marketing Director for 1-Stop Media. During COVID, she picked up an unfortunate car habit –repairing, painting, and detailing each of her vehicles (her current fleet includes a ’95 Land Rover and ’99 VW Cabrio). She believes that everyone deserves the right to an education and is very excited to be joining the board of CIS Spokane.
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Get Involved!
Our kids need you! During this time, it is more important than ever to stay connected by reaching out a helping hand to students in need. We are excited to announce the launch of our PrimeTime Mentoring – currently virtual!
It’s simple. We partner with local schools to match students with community members through a school based only program. You can change a student’s life by logging on from your phone or computer and giving your student 30 minutes of your time. We provide weekly conversation prompts and fun activities.
All you need is an encouraging smile and a listening ear. Please consider joining us. Together, let’s change the lives of our kids in our community!
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Kelley Hinrichs, Director of Volunteer Services.
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Communities In Schools of Spokane County
104 S. Freya St. suite 109,
Yellow Flag Bldg
Spokane, WA 99202
www.spokane.ciswa.org
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Monday - Friday:
8am - 5pm
509.413.1436
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