My name is Qiuya(Rachel) Li. and I am a supporter of the Bellevue Schools Foundation. Before COVID-19, I had planned to invite you to join me at the Spring for Schools luncheon, but unfortunately the Foundation will no longer be able to hold the event.
The developments around COVID-19 have put our most vulnerable students and families at risk. Thankfully, the Bellevue Schools Foundation is uniquely positioned to support our district during this crisis. The funds raised by the Foundation are some of the most flexible donations for our District and will go directly to providing food security, and other vital services to our most in-need students and families, as well as continuing to fund our exemplary programs to ensure our students maintain their academic excellence once they return to the classroom.
Recent Foundation donations have been used to train school counselors who are now providing virtual and phone counseling to large numbers of middle and high school students experiencing anxiety and depression during our school closures. Their work is vital in ensuring our students' safety through this difficult time.
Additionally, the Bellevue Schools Foundation's prior investments in innovative programs have helped guarantee our students can continue learning throughout the school closures and will reach their full academic potential now and well into the future. From Dreambox to Naviance to the K-12 Computer STEM initiative, the Foundation's investments have helped prepare our students to weather this storm.
Please donate today to support our students and families during this crisis. Any amount you give helps. In addition, long-time supporters have stepped up to offer a matching pool for donations of $1,000 and above. Your $1,000 contributions will be doubled thanks to their generosity.
We are in uncharted waters. The District and local agencies are strained to cover the large numbers of students now needing to have their basic physical, emotional, and educational needs met. Your unrestricted donation allows for flexibility in this unprecedented time.
For as long as the COVID-19 crisis goes on, we will continue to work with the Bellevue School District to help ALL our students, including our most vulnerable children, get through it.