Jefferson Adult School fundraises for Haiti
Catherine Cloutier | 2-5-2010 | Comments |

For Wilber Aybar, it was the children.

The evening news brought the faces of the children affected by the Haitian earthquake into Aybar’s living room, faces that cried out for help.

“We know that the country is so poor,” Aybar said. “We also know people need something to eat and drink, and clothes to wear.”

With the encouragement of teacher Maria Morales, Aybar and 120 of his classmates at the Jefferson Community Adult School joined together to raise money for the people of Haiti.

Morales was pleasantly surprised by the empathy at play. She pledged to match each dollar the students raised.

“I thought it would be encouraging for the students to have the teachers [make that commitment],” Morales said.

In just three days, their donations reached $1200.

Each student made a personal donation and then recruited two other people to make one as well.

“For three days, we collected money in our houses from our family and from our neighbors,” said student Maria Mejia.

The success of the project has not deterred her teacher, who will double the cash with her own contribution. “I’ll be happy to keep my promise,” said Morales.

Listen for teacher Maria Morales's "In Her Own Words" account of the fundraiser.




A testament to the community

Jefferson Community Adult School Principal Ann Reed said the fundraiser’s success is a “testament to the community.”

“I’m just delighted to see that although our community is not affluent, they gave generously to help others when they could have used it to help themselves,” Reed said.

Located in South Los Angeles, the Jefferson Community Adult School opens its doors to 200 to 250 students each night. The school offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, GED and high school diploma preparation, and some career skills programs.

The majority of the students are immigrants, and 90 to 95 percent of them fall into the ESL category, said Reed.

Aybar immigrated to the United States seven years ago from Mexico. He currently works in the shipping industry.

Mejia, a Nicaraguan immigrant, has been in the United States for two years.

Both are students in Morales’s ESL class. They said the school has greatly improved their English language skills.

Reed hopes that the outside community’s involvement in the fundraiser will spread awareness about the school and its programs. “It helps us to grow our school, and it helps the community become aware of what we have at Jefferson,” Reed said.

But one of the most important results of the fundraiser hits a little closer to home.

“The students are working together toward a special goal, [one] that is very meaningful for a lot of them,” said Morales. “Students who didn’t work together actually got to work together. Students who did not speak much started speaking a little more.”

And they will continue to do so.

Aybar said the students are planning a second wave a fundraising for Haiti, this time featuring an event—potentially a dance—to be held in two or three weeks.

“People like to help, and people want to dance,” Aybar reasoned. “It’s a good way to make money.”

The Jefferson Community Adult School students are sending their donations to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund. To make a donation, go to its website.

Tags: fundraising haiti jefferson community adult school maria morales south los angeles