Helping out a fellow school district

Hewlett-Woodmere fundraising for Hurricane Harvey victims

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When Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on southeast Texas it struck a chord with Five Towns residents who vividly remember the aftermath of Sandy. Those memories pressed the Hewlett-Woodmere School District and its Central Council PTA to collect money to help.

People who live in the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District near the border of Louisiana experienced severe flooding from several waterways, including the Sabine River. The earliest district officials said they could reopen their schools is Sept. 19.

To help West Orange-Cove bounce back from Harvey, the Hewlett-Woodmere PTA set up a GoFundMe page to raise money. As of press time, $3,177 was pledged, of the state goal of $25,000.

“Sometimes you have a hard time taking [supplies] in, warehousing and distributing them, while also trying to be a school,” said Dr. Mark Secaur, Hewlett-Woodmere’s deputy superintendent, explaining why the district chose to fundraise for a fellow school district.

He said that Hewlett-Woodmere was prepared to fill trucks with supplies, but West Orange-Cove Superintendent Rickie Harris believed that money could best help her/his district. “Any district that deals with such a devastating loss is going to have a tough time getting back operationally,” Secaur added.

With Hurricane Irma almost immediately following Harvey there was some fear that the second storm would cause people to forget about the first. This is why they settled on West Orange-Cove. “Can we find a district of similar size that isn’t in the headlines, but we know is having a difficult time, Secaur said.

Moving forward after Harvey has been difficult for those in the West Orange-Cove district. In an email, Harris wrote said that many employees and students were displaced after losing their homes, possessions and vehicles, but are thankful for the support.

“Words cannot adequately express the gratitude that West Orange-Cove’s students and staff hold for this gracious act of kindness,” he wrote. “It is good to know that another school district understands that it takes all of us to make an impact on children.”

Harris is already thinking about how they can pay Hewlett Woodmere back. “If another disaster like Hurricane Sandy or Harvey should ever impact Hewlett-Woodmere and God forbid that it does; then, West Orange-Cove CISD will be more than happy to return the support,” he wrote.

Debi Sheinin, co-president of the Hewlett Woodmere Central Council PTA helped organize the GoFundMe, setting up a bank account for the district and promoting it on Facebook. However, their efforts aren’t confined to financial support.

“The teachers within the schools are working to make the kids cards and banners to hang for them,” she said. “We’re going to try to have a booth set up where the kids can draw pictures for the elementary school students to decorate their halls and to show that we were in this situation, we know what it’s like and we’re trying to show our appreciation for what others have done for us back to them.”

Nearly five years after what was called a superstorm, the specter of Sandy still hangs heavily across the South Shore of Nassau County. Secaur was the principal of Oceanside High School when the storm occurred and said that sort of help is just as important as financial contributions.

“Having lived the experience one of the most powerful things that occurred to me was when Oceanside, California adopted us and sent us mementos and pictures of kids, heartfelt messages of we’re thinking of you,” he said. “It wasn’t tangible financially but it was emotionally powerful so that was part of the idea here.”

Both Secaur and Sheinin used the term “paying it forward” for what they want the students to learn from this experience.

To donate, go to http://bit.ly/2xf0IzR.