FLEMING ISLAND – One Fleming Island Elementary School mom has secured donations that will help out the parents of 25 of her son’s classmates.
Through a partnership with Bob Delicino, store …
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FLEMING ISLAND – One Fleming Island Elementary School mom has secured donations that will help out the parents of 25 of her son’s classmates.
Through a partnership with Bob Delicino, store manager at the Fleming Island Walmart store, mom Katherine Findlay was able to donate 25 backpacks filled with all the necessary supplies to the Exceptional Student Education wing of her son’s school.
This was the second part of a partnership between Findlay and the Walmart store, with the first part coming in the form of $2,500 for Chromebooks in the ESE wing as well as a “sensory portable.”
The classroom allows kids, like her son Steven Jorzyk, 8, who is diagnosed with autism, a safe space to play. The portable features a hammock, a soft crash pad, and a wide variety of toys that offer sights, sounds and textures to occupy the busy minds of the students.
Once those things were in place and ready for the new school year, Findlay and Walmart decided to do one more donation and she sent a list of supplies to the store directly from the FIE ESE teachers.
“This all originated from being passionate about my son and what he’s going through,” Findlay said. “And being a single mother, I know this can be a financial burden.”
The 25 packs were given to the program’s 17 boys and 8 girls on their first day of school Tuesday, saving those families $520 in total.
“This takes a load off parents, it’s just one less thing for them to worry about,” said Illisa Hamilton, who teaches children with physical disabilities in grades K-6. “There are lots of things for them to worry about, especially for ESE kids, and this helps them concentrate on the important stuff.”
Findlay said the string of donations started with a simple Facebook post she made back in March after deciding to become involved in the schools through her son. After the success of these donations at Fleming Island Elementary, she has decided to start a nonprofit organization sometime in the next few months with the goal of raising money for ESE programs at public and private schools throughout Northeast Florida.