Michelle Lindsay asks for donations to give her students a fighting chance.

Each year, teachers everywhere are faced with an overwhelming challenge: their students having enough supplies to get them through a year of classes. A new school year means new money to be spent on textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils. For some students in low-income areas, these costs just cannot be covered.

How Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Stepped in to Help One Teacher

It is well documented that teachers in poor districts have to spend more money from their own pocket to get their students the same resources as their peers. In some cases, more than half of the students in a classroom start the school year without tools needed to ensure success.

Michelle Lindsay is a high school teacher at Lakewood High School in Salemburg, North Carolina. Throughout the years, Michelle has turned to her creativity to help her students make the most of their situation. She has crafted what she calls “interactive notebooks” to give her students a fun and unique way to follow along with her lessons using plain college-ruled notebooks, markers and glue sticks. 

Michelle, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a nonprofit sorority of college-educated women, started a school year with an online message to the public. “It is that time again and I’m asking for supplies or donations to get supplies for my high school students. I can not afford to purchase supplies this year and I know most of my students cannot afford supplies,” the message reads. As soon as she hit send on the post, messages started flowing in from the women Michelle calls her sisters. 

The women of Delta Sigma Theta sourced nearly 100 boxes of supplies for Michelle and her students. “That’s what we do. We help each other” Michelle said of Delta Sigma Theta members. Support like this was just what the students needed to boost their year of education.

How a Teacher Made Sure Each of Her Students Had a Quality Education

As the new school year begins, Michelle’s students are wide-eyed and ready to begin lessons with their favourite teacher. With the donations received from her sorority, Michelle can be sure that each student is handed the same opportunity regardless of money spent.

To ensure her students understand where the support comes from, their first homework assignment of the school year is a handwritten thank you letter to the donors. “I think Ms. Lindsay’s students are very aware and appreciative of her efforts on their behalf,” says John Goode, principal of Lakewood High School. These types of assignments are an excellent exercise in gratitude.

Ms. Lindsay really goes the extra mile for her students, doing anything she can to make sure their financial situation doesn’t have an impact on the quality of their education. She says her students work harder knowing a group of strangers went out of their way to help. 

Acts of generosity like this from the members of Delta Sigma Theta show that a little bit of help can go a long way. A few dollars of pocket change can help a child further their education and give them a better chance of improving their future.

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