HOUSTON – It’s first day of school for hundreds of kids and teachers throughout several Houston-area school districts Monday despite many still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.
Spring Branch ISD parent volunteers decided to step up and put together a high-end clothing drive just for their staff and teachers whose homes flooded.
In a span of two days, parent volunteers managed to rally enough people, donations and set up shop at the Spring Branch ISD admin building to give their staff and teachers going through rough times a chance to just shop a little and splurge all for free.
“I mean the turnaround was quick,” Suzanne Stiles, parent volunteer, said.
Is all it took to make this shopping experience a reality.
“In that short amount of time we were able to accept donations, we were able to sort everything and set this all up,” she said.
Parent volunteers and the community coming together just in time to greet Spring Branch teachers and staff members like Rose Rayborn.
“It means so much, just to know that they went through the trouble of gathering all these things that they might still be using, but were willing to give up for us,” Rayborn, registrar for SBISD, said.
Like so many, Rayborn fell victim to Harvey. Her Spring home destroyed by floodwaters.
“It was a small humble home, but it was my son and I’s dream home,” she said.
Her dream home took on more than four feet of water.
“I could see the water rising, and I started to panic, and all I could think was I have to get out, and I have to get my son out, but when we came back, everything was gone, because I didn’t have time to grab anything,” she said.
That’s why parent volunteers like Stile decided to put together a clothing drive and help their SBISD family.
“We’re all so thankful and grateful for what they do every day, so hopefully this is a small sample of appreciation to get them along and get them started back to school,” she said.
From racks of high-end clothes to plush blankets, all items donated by a loving community.
“What’s amazing is some of the people that actually donated clothes, are actually people that have lost everything,” she said.
Giving these teachers and staff and their family a chance to shop all for free.
Clothes and other items left from the drive will most likely be donated to other organizations or events for the rest of the community in need.