Tough Times: How Parent Groups Help Their Communities

School parent group leaders play many roles in their communities. They’re event organizers. Fundraisers. Appreciators of teachers.

And sometimes, after a crisis, that list expands to include the roles of community-rebuilders. Donation-collectors. Even grief counselors.

News of a tragedy like the recent school shooting in South Carolina never gets easier to hear. Nor should it—these events affect everyone, and school shootings in particular hit parents, teachers, and others directly involved with schools especially close to home.

But many parent groups have found ways to channel feelings of helplessness and despair into sparks of hope for their communities, simply by doing some of what they do best—mobilizing, rallying volunteers, and asking how they can help. Over the years, PTO Today has had the opportunity to learn about a number of such groups; here are some examples of the pivotal roles they’ve played during difficult events.

Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, many parent groups helped schools rebuild. Efforts ranged from penny collections to huge donations of school supplies. In one case, a volunteer based in Massachusetts helped organize a donation drive that benefited four Staten Island, N.Y., schools simply by facilitating what people already wanted to do.

After Hurricane Sandy: How Parent Groups Helped Schools Rebuild

Amy Beverland Elementary in Indianapolis, Ind., was dealt an unimaginable blow when its beloved principal, Susan Jordan, was hit by a bus and killed on school grounds in early 2016. The Amy Beverland Family Association quickly mobilized by hosting a candlelight vigil and making itself available for any task that needed to be handled during that somber time. The Amy Beverland Dad’s Club, a part of the ABFA, gave every staff member and student a shirt emblazoned with “ABE Strong” on the front and “I was Mrs. Jordan’s Favorite” on the back.

Judges’ Choice: Stepping Up in Trying Times

In Lyons, Colo., days of record-breaking rainfall caused five dams to breach one September morning in 2014, resulting in widespread and severe flooding. Even as PTO board members struggled with compromised living conditions, the group persevered. It raised money from outside the flood area through a crowdsourcing website and held its annual jogathon as a morale-booster for the school community.

Judges’ Choice: Staying Afloat After a Flood

Even when a tragic event is not nearby, it can have an effect on students. After the June 2016 nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., students at Littleton (Mass.) Middle School wore shirts representing the colors of the rainbow to show support for the victims. In doing so, they not only showed that they cared but also learned what it’s like when a community rallies together.