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NESPA President Marian Phillips and Nassau County Schools Families in Transition Program Director Mollie Cressey hold up a basket filled with donations going to benefit a struggling Nassau County family this Easter. Submitted photo -
NESPA members brought enough gifts to fill the gift baskets to overflowing. Submitted photo -
NESPA members brought enough gifts to fill the gift baskets to overflowing. Submitted photo -
NESPA members brought enough gifts to fill the gift baskets to overflowing. Submitted photo
As a service project, the Nassau Educational Support Personnel Association decided to have a Day of Action by donating to four families in the Families In Transition program through the Nassau County School District.
During the month of March, Nassau’s non-instructional employees and NESPA members donated toys, gift cards, books, candy, games and cleaning supplies at each of the work sites in the district. Mollie Cressey — FIT program director — selected four families for NESPA to gather items for. She gave the ages of the kids and the total number in each household so donations could be tailored to individual families.
Just in time for Easter family gatherings, Cressey ensured the baskets were delivered Monday, April 3.
“During the month, our employees gave more than we expected,” NESPA President Marian Phillips said. “Some of the members donated an item for each child in all four families. We had so many items donated, that the baskets we purchased were not large enough to hold all of them.”
NESPA also purchased a gift card for each household from Winn-Dixie so they can prepare for their Easter dinner.
The FIT program was set up to assist students and families without a home. The program is a frequent beneficiary of local drives and donations. They collect everything from socks and underwear to gift cards and games to distribute to member families. While the program does benefit from grant funding, its success and reach relies heavily on independent donations. More information about the program and how to refer a family with Nassau County students is available on the Nassau County School District website.
“This was a great opportunity to give to families who are in need,” Phillips told the News-Leader. “Daily as we assist in the education of the students we serve, we see the many needs for them and their families … The NESPA members are educators. We are non-instructional support staff. Our ranks consist of school bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, secretaries, mechanics, accountants and data entry workers. We are the backbone for our teachers and administrators. We work daily to educate our students in the Nassau County school system. Often, we are not mentioned when people speak about education. However, without us schools cannot function.”
