Week 29: School Supplies in Honduras

July 21, 2018

I confess. I had a hard time this summer keeping up with my weekly service. Not the actual service part; I actually managed to stick to that. It was the follow up that got me–actually writing the blog posts. I am slowly catching up, so please bear with me!

In July, I spent a week in Guanaja, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras in the Caribbean. Many years ago, when I was travelling extensively in Central and South America, I visited Utila, another of the three Bay Islands (the other being the more developed Roatan), and I was thrilled to return to these beautiful islands after 25 years.

My brother recently moved to Honduras, and is managing a charming small resort, Cabanas on Clark’s Cay, located just off the coast of the main island. In preparation for my trip, I needed to find a project I could complete while on the island. After speaking with my brother, we decided that school supplies would be a huge benefit to the local children. I packed the largest suitcase I could legally carry, and filled all the remaining space with pencils, pens, note cards, pencil pouches, folders, and other supplies.

Once in Guanaja, I learned that Bonacca Cay is the municipal hub and home to most of the approximately 10,000 people who live in Guanaja. The other two main settlements on Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight.

Savannah Bight, with just over 1,000 residents, is the closest settlement to where my brother is living, and is home to many of his employee’s at Clark’s Cay. On my first day in Honduras, we attended a spirited soccer match there. The soccer team we were cheering for is sponsored by Clark’s sister resort, Villa on Dunbar Rock. During a break in the soccer match, we walked around the town, ending up at the small school. We decided that this school should be the recipient of the supplies I had brought with me.

When you are traveling, why not look for a way that you can give back to the local community? You’ll feel connected with the place and the people long after you return home.

Week 20: The Prom Shop Project

May 16, 2018

Prom season. Some girls might will spend hours selecting their prom dresses – many of which will only be worn once – while other girls won’t even get to attend because they can’t afford a dress. It seems like a problem begging to be remedied.

At Lakehill Preparatory School this spring, the Sisteens (our high school service group for girls) partnered with my friend Kim Peters to collect prom dresses. Kim is the founder and executive director of the Prom Shop Project (website under construction), a grassroots organization whose mission for the past 17 years has been to donate gently used prom dresses and accessories to underprivileged girls.

Peters started in 2001, with just 75 dresses in Dallas, and now gives away thousands of dresses and accessories in cities across Texas. Her hope is to not only provide dresses, but to surround girls in need with positive role models.

Schools participate by hosting a donation drive on campus and dropping off their donations prior to the dress give-away event. I was thrilled for Lakehill to participate, and the response was extremely positive. Not only did girls donate their prom dresses, but parents and teachers went through their own closets to find formals that they could share. I donated several formal dresses that I had kept in my closet for years, reminders of treasured moments and fond memories. I realized it would be better to pass them on, with the hope that they might help someone else create special memories of her own.

Several non-profits conduct similar drives. In Dallas, Comerica Bank has provided dresses to Dallas CASA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas for several years, and the Dallas Public Library holds its Fairy Tale Closet event to distribute dresses to girls. Becca’s Closet, in Florida, was originally founded to collect and distribute dresses to high school girls with financial need. They have now expanded the foundation to raise funds for post-secondary educational scholarships. Chapters can be found across the U.S.

Conduct an online search in your own city to see how you can get involved. Your donation can help make a prom dress dream come true for someone else.

Week 14: Kite Day for Bayles Elementary School

April 7, 2018

Kite Day is an annual celebration that brings students from Bayles Elementary to Lakehills nearby campus on Ferguson Road. Lakehill has hosted this event for many years, with attendance usually near 400 or 500. Braving unseasonably cold temperatures this year, our Lakehill volunteers welcomed the students and their families for the annual celebration on April 7.

The fields at Lakehill’s Roger L. Perry Campus provided the perfect location, as an old-school pastime became a new favorite for those who attended. Volunteers handed out kites and offered guidance to novice kite fliers and their families. The Lion’s Club fired up the grill to serve a hot dog lunch to all who attended. This year, the grill also provided welcome relief from the cold, and a place to warm up from the chilling winds. Despite the dropping temperatures, the children’s spirits soared as high as the kites they were flying.

Bayles Elementary was established by the Dallas Independent School District in 1956 and has educated thousands of children in the Ferguson Road community for more than 50 years. The administration and staff at Bayles work closely with neighborhood organizations to create strong community partnerships to support their students and help them reach their fullest potential.

Communities work best when the local schools are supported. Why not offer your support for a school in your community?