Letters to the Editor 6-19-14

Cloverdale kids are important to all of us
Editor:   
Do you realize that when you help a child you help to make your future brighter?
That freckled face with the missing front teeth may someday be the doctor who guides you through a serious illness. That kid who can’t sit still and is always tapping hands and feet may become a talented drummer, whose band performs at Friday Night live. The giggling teenager may be a future social worker. The child who is constantly taking things apart in the classroom may be the one you trust to repair your home appliances, or build your home. The earnest face struggling to learn to read could become a gifted teacher or school counselor with great empathy for future struggling students.
The students of Cloverdale schools will impact our lives. They deserve everything we can do to help them realize their potential. For the last four years, the United Church of Cloverdale has organized a summer drive (“Stock a Student Classroom”) to collect school supplies. We have been joined by various churches, community groups, service clubs and many individuals.  We coordinate with the schools to determine the needs. Donated supplies are distributed to the schools at the beginning of the school year. A representative of the UCC and some retired teachers use any cash donations to purchase additional supplies to be used in the classrooms.
Our program was a HUGE success last year, thanks to the community of Cloverdale!  Even though the State of California is coming through with better money for our schools, the help we give with school supplies still makes a big impact by making it possible for teachers to provide more for the children– to enhance their educational experiences.
We plan to continue this outreach in 2014 and would like to ask all of you to join us again in this “Stock a Student Classroom” project. If you see a good deal on school supplies in the next couple of months, why not pick some up? Check the Reveille the first week of July for a list of businesses where you can drop off supplies – or simply look for our brightly colored poster at various businesses around town. Please help our kids make our future brighter.
Marilyn Michelon,
Cloverdale