In an effort to support students in need during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Florida-based home furnishings producer Twin Star Home donated 500 desks to Chicago-area Bolingbrook High School and the Secondary Transition Experience Program (STEP), both part of the Valley View School District. Desks were delivered on May 7 and during the week of May 18, and they are available for students and teachers to use in their homes for remote learning.
"During this trying time, the Valley View School District community is rallying around our belief that 'we're all in this together,” says Valley View School District 365U Assistant Superintendent of Schools Rachel Kinder. “The generous donation of these desks from Twin Star Home is an outstanding example of how people are coming together to support each other's needs. We are grateful for Twin Star's kindness and generosity.”
The Twin Star Home team worked with local school administrators to identify schools in need and spread the word to the community that the desks were available free of charge. The first wave of donated desks were distributed to teachers for use in conducting remote learning sessions. Students from both Bolingbrook and STEP—a special education initiative within the Bolingbrook and Romeoville public schools for young adults ages 18-22—will be able to pick up desks next week. Any remaining desks will be used by teachers in classrooms once in-person school resumes.
“With the challenges so many are facing because of this pandemic, it’s more important than ever to step up to help others,” says Lisa Cody, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Twin Star Home. “We hope these desks will make the home learning process easier and more successful for both students and teachers as they practice social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.”
