Press release from Red Bank Charter School
In November, the students and faculty of the Red Bank Charter School (RBCS) participated in a clothing fundraiser to support the nonprofit One Simple Wish. The New Jersey-based organization, dedicated to providing help and support to foster children, made news recently when its founder and Executive Director Danielle Gletow was named one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of the Year, for her efforts in granting “simple wishes” to these children.
“Education is more than just academics,” said RBCS Second Grade teacher Brenda Conni, who organized the collection of used clothing items at the school. “If we are to guide students towards global learning and productive citizenship we need to provide enriching learning experiences while incorporating lifelong values.”
At RBCS, educators have the opportunity to provide this through Service Learning Projects. Conni’s daughter, Stephanie Conni, is the Program manager for One Simple Wish, and approached her with their clothing drive fundraiser. Brenda Conni immediately accepted the opportunity to discuss this with her class and reach out to the RBCS community.
“As always, they were supportive in this endeavor and the clothes started pouring in, literally,” Conni observed. “There were car loads of bags, testament to the support from our families who work with the school to ensure our children are gaining invaluable life lessons; shaping hearts as well as minds.”
Stephanie Conni said, “The organization’s mission is to brighten the lives of children in care and support families One Simple Wish at a time. She added, “By providing the community the opportunity to grant their wishes, we are letting these often invisible children know there are people out there who love and support them.”
“One Simple Wish allows anyone to get involved by empowering them with the tools to impact the life of a child in care. We offer endless opportunities to help support our program, such as by granting a wish on our website at onesimplewish.org, by creating a fundraising page for a special event, becoming a yearly benefactor, or by volunteering with us.”
One Simple Wish grants wishes through its partnership with over 500 Social service agencies and nonprofits caring for foster children in 42 states, and to date the organization has impacted the lives of 30,000 children.
Stephanie Conni said, “Gletow is first and foremost a Mom, wanting every child to feel loved and cared for. One Simple Wish is Danielle’s passion. She is dedicated to her mission and opening the world’s view on foster care. One Simple Wish is proof that One idea and One person can make a difference.”
Voting for the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2013 concluded on Sunday, November 17, 2013, and the Hero of the Year will be revealed on Sunday, December 1, during the broadcast of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” This person will receive $250,000 to continue their extraordinary work for their organization.
