Great Valley Good Neighbors Program Redirects For Pandemic Needs

MALVERN, PA — Great Valley School District's Education Foundation has adjusted its program and giving through this fall as it recognized the pandemic had created extra hardship for some district families.

Even areas the we think of as affluent have pockets of need, and there are areas within every school district with families in need, pandemic or not, said Stephen Skoufalos, President of the Great Valley School District Education Foundation.

The mission statement of the foundation reads, "We exist to enrich the total student experience in the Great Valley School District as a community partner by funding projects and programs."

Skoufalos said "projects and programs" in the recent past has meant helping kids who might not be able to go on a class trip, or who could be kept out of school-based functions because of money, or providing scholarships.

The Good Neighbor Fund is only one of the programs of the Education Foundation; it's meant to "provide support to GVSD families experiencing temporary financial hardship." But recently, it's become the most important one.

"Now, enter the pandemic, and this need has been amplified," Skoufalos said. It's a time when the Good Neighbor program has emerged as the most urgent one that the Education Foundation can support.

"If kids don't have enough food, it affects their ability to learn," he said. So, he explained, the focus of the Education Foundation has shifted to meeting the needs of school district families struggling to keep enough food in their homes.

It's been a whole-community effort. As president of the Education Foundation, he's asked the community to do what they can to support families facing financial challenges. The foundation has always been supported by a fund-raising drive this time of year, and a gold outing in the summer. The golf outing didn't happen in the summer of 2020, he said, so this fall's giving drive became more crucial.

He explained GVSD student services staff have helped identify needs. In recent months, the foundation has distributed $50 grocery gift cards through the Good Neighbor program. In September, 25 cards were given out, in October 10, and in November he said about 75 gift cards have been distributed.

"GVSDEF is extremely thankful to the Great Valley community for their ongoing support," he told the community last week in a letter. He reported that last month, the foundation raised about $1,500.

However, Skoufalos said with the holidays approaching, 75 grocery gift cards were distributed in November at a cost of $3,750 and if December's need is close to that, the fund will likely need at least another 75 cards. He said he expects about 40 more cards will be needed in January.

Skoufalos said in doing this work, he thinks of what Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

Anyone who would like to contribute to the Good Neighbor program can link to it here, then select Donate Now and select Good Neighbor.