Although situated in the heart of the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood on Fremont Street and 42nd Avenue, Beaumont Middle School draws its students from a diversity of neighborhoods, and when schools were forced to shut down last spring due to the spread of COVID-19, the community’s lower-income families were hit especially hard. Moreover, points out Beaumont Middle School PTA President Marty Stockton, “…the reality is that many in the school community had financial instability prior to the pandemic that wasn’t fully recognized by the school’s fundraising and volunteer efforts.” In a move to rectify the inequity, the PTA collaborated with counselors and administrators over the summer to launch the “Family Resiliency Fund” last fall, the goal of which, explains Ms. Stockton, is to “become an ongoing support of Beaumont students and their families who are experiencing emergencies that may impact a student’s overall well-being and ability to be successful in school.” Having raised over $7,000 in December alone, hopes are high to continue providing financial assistance to Beaumont Middle School families in need throughout 2021 and beyond.
The Beaumont Middle School Family Resiliency Fund umbrella encompasses three kinds of support: emergency microgrants, gift cards, and personal hygiene supplies.
Emergency Microgrants: small-scale funds ($300-$500) made available to student families facing financial difficulty due to emergency situations or one-time hardships.
Gift Cards: a gift card collection program facilitated through the Beaumont counseling team, in which donated Visa and MasterCard gift cards are distributed to allow families to meet their most urgent needs ($50 to $100 denominations recommended, but any amount is appreciated).
Personal Hygiene Supplies: donations of personal hygiene supplies, such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and laundry detergent, can be made via an Amazon Wishlist.
Ms. Stockton urges residents to please make a difference for Beaumont students and their families by making your gift today by going to the following web site:
https://app.memberhub.gives/beaumontbobcats
Contact Principal Harriette Jackson-Vimegnon at vimegnon@pps.net or Marty Stockton, Beaumont Middle School PTA President at ptabeaumontpresident@gmail.com with questions and/or ideas on how to support Beaumont Middle School families.
Editor’s Note: Read about BWNA’s $1,500 gift card donation on page 6 of the January-February 2021 newsletter by going to the BWNA website (www.bwnapdx.org), clicking on Newsletter at the top of the home page, then scrolling all the way down to Newsletter Archives.