Story

I moved across the country to teach, and I do everything I can to make my students feel welcome and safe every day, but I’m living in an unsafe environment that often harms my ability to give more than I already do. I’ve incurred financial losses through three main challenges, and even a small donation would go a long way towards relieving the constant anxiety and pain associated with them.

1. The mental health fallout after a student brought a rifle into my classroom last year has caused me financial loss and increased need for treatment to keep me in the classroom and helping my students. I disarmed that student, kept him safe and kept the other students in the school safe, but I also need help so I can do the work to make sure I feel safe myself again.

2. Due to asbestos exposure, I ended up with several high medical bills and almost died from being unable to breathe past coughs that knocked me to the ground.

3. At the start of the school year, it was discovered that almost all of my supplies and equipment for my classroom had been destroyed by a mouse infestation. This was able to happen because construction on the building left an opening for the infestation. All of it had to be replaced by me, from my own personal funds. It was devastating, but our students deserve paper to write on, pencils to write with, and decorations to make the room they spend most of their day in feel less isolating. The school district does not provide funds for those things though.