USA Funds Symposium Participants Donate Supplies to New Orleans Schools

More than 160 faculty and administrators from 60 postsecondary institutions serving minority students participated in the 2007 USA Funds^® Symposium “Pursuing Excellence in Student Preparation, Access and Success” Feb. 27-March 1 in New Orleans.

The event was designed to promote dialogue among administrators of minority-serving institutions. The symposium also served as an opportunity for participants to assist New Orleans and the city’s schools in need.

The symposium last was held in New Orleans in 2005, and organizers chose to return to New Orleans in 2007 to support the city as it continues to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The symposium featured a presentation from Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana.

Symposium planners discussed that the event also would be a great opportunity for participants to do community service while in New Orleans, says Vernetta Fairley, managing director for USA Funds’ debt-management team.

USA Funds requested that participants donate school supplies to assist New Orleans-area schools in need. Attendees contributed materials ranging from backpacks and pens to printer supplies.

“Participants shipped supplies directly to the hotel, some purchased supplies when they arrived in New Orleans, and others were even rearranging their luggage to get as many supplies here as they could,” says Fairley. “And those who couldn’t bring supplies made financial contributions. The response was just overwhelming.”

At the symposium USA Funds President and CEO Carl Dalstrom presented the school supplies to Sara Massey of the New Orleans chapter of the nonprofit organization Communities In Schools. Massey then distributed the supplies to local schools.

“I watched a kindergarten teacher squeal in delight at a box of art supplies for her class,” Massey says. “It was amazing to see the definition of ‘community’ expand to the whole United States as the participants at the USA Funds Symposium showered us with pounds and pounds of school supplies.”