ESD’s daily routines may look different, but the core of our community remains the same. Thanks to the leadership of our Director of Community Service Learning Courtney Phelps and many others, we have compiled a list of opportunities to support organizations affected by COVID-19. Students, faculty and staff, alumni, and other community members have been volunteering their time and resources at both local and larger organizations. Click here to view the full list of opportunities.
In the classroom, our youngest Eagles wrote thank you notes and tied white ribbons around trees in support of the healthcare workers helping keep us safe. Student Council and other student groups have made face masks, assembled Easter baskets for local families, created dual-language videos for DISD student lessons, written letters of encouragement, and even transcribed tours for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Our students - and their families - continue to embrace our founding tenet of service even through these difficult times.
And since the campus is closed, faculty and staff donated unused classroom resources to local facilities in need of supplies. We donated 4,000 pairs of rubber gloves, 650 face masks, 12 face shields, 42 bottles hand sanitizer, 3,600 disinfectant wipes to UT Southwestern. Even SAGE was able to donate unused food to Austin Street Shelter for their distribution!
“We care for those in need and continuously strive to put our faith into action,” Director of Community Service Learning Courtney Phelps said. “It's always a comfort to know our students and faculty are always engaged in the community, despite their current circumstances. It's a continued reassurance that our founding tenet of service is still at the forefront of our minds.”
While we are facing an unprecedented challenge, we are heartened by the many ways our community members are offering support. For an updated list of ways to lend a hand, please refer to this document. If you know of an opportunity that is not listed, please contact Courtney Phelps at phelpsc@esdallas.org.
To view a full list of local ESD-owned businesses, visit our page here.