by Elizabeth Roos and Kim Tilley
It is with sadness but a great sense of accomplishment that we share with you that Project Mensch will come to an end with the close of the school year. For close to a decade, the “mensches” of the Project Mensch community have given of their time, talent, and financial resources to support several Title 1 schools in the area with a particular impact on the Wheatley Education Campus in DC and Highland Elementary in Wheaton.
Project Mensch began when the Temple Sinai community identified kids and education as an area of focus for social justice activities. At first, we provided volunteers in classrooms to help support overstretched teachers. It was from our regular presence in the classrooms and school buildings that a sense of trust and partnership developed between the schools and the Project Mensch volunteers. Once the strong relationship was in place, the support and programming grew and grew. The school staff identified needs and Project Mensch provided – whether through monthly wish lists focused on classroom essentials; annual back-to-school and winter coat drives; instrument purchases and collections for in-school music programs; funding for after school enrichment and before and after school care; bilingual story time for caregivers and babies; and epic teacher appreciation events.
We are exceedingly grateful for all the mensches who allowed this work to become reality. We had anonymous donors who provided significant amounts of funding and in-kind gifts along with worker bees who sorted supplies or made pounds and pounds of homemade potato salad for the annual Thanksgiving lunch at Highland. Project Mensch was truly a group effort and proved just how much good work we could do if we did it together.
As the pandemic changed the nature of our support and as our professional lives have gotten busier, we decided it was time to end this run. We are sad but we are proud of all this group has accomplished. Thank you to each and everyone who has played a part in this success.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Elizabeth Roos & Kim Tilley