DeSoto ISD’s Back to School Fair was one of the many victims of the 2020-2021 school opening challenges, with the historical August event having to be postponed due to overwhelming response and lack of funding. Enter two community angels in the form of Comerica Bank and We the Village, Inc. who partnered to gather the signature funding to get the Fair back on track just in time for campus-based instruction to begin!
“As a relationship bank, serving and supporting our community during this unique time is of critical importance to Comerica,” said Irvin Ashford, Jr. Comerica Bank Chief Community Officer. “Our North Texas African American Business Resource Group chair and local banking center manager Trenessia Smith, who also resides in this area, brought this void to our attention and we felt it was our responsibility to provide the much-needed resources for the DeSoto ISD students. It’s simply delivering on our promise to raise expectations of what a bank can be in the communities we serve.”
Comerica teamed with DeSoto-based 501c3 We the Village to grant funding totaling over $7,000 to purchase supply packs for registered families.
Additional donations from Kroger’s BackPack Boosters, Atmos Energy, Costco, Access Self-Storage, the DeSoto Rotary Club, A2E2, Bank of DeSoto, XPO Logistics, and the DeSoto Domestic Violence Advisory Commission round out contributors to the distribution scheduled for October 10. Registered families will receive confirmation emails to serve as their claim ticket for supply packs.
Kay Brown-Patrick, Founder and Executive Director of We the Village states “although We the Village is a non-profit organization that supports children with incarcerated parents, our partnership with Comerica and DeSoto ISD allows us to expand our scope and reach children that can benefit from our programs and services in the future. We were delighted to have this opportunity to provide essential supplies to the students of DeSoto ISD to help them and their families adapt to their new learning environment.”
“DeSoto is a family community” mused Communications Director Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones. “So many wonderful people keep eyes on this district to make sure we have what we need, regularly stepping up to assist and support. It’s just a great community in which to live, LEARN, work and play!”
As with other 2020 COVID-age activities, this year’s Back to School Fair will be a drive-through event. Along the route, families will be able to view from their car campus programs and area resources. Registration is closed for both the supplies and resource display.
On-campus instruction begins the first phase on Monday, October 5, 2020, when Amber Terrace Pre-kindergarten students who are enrolled in the Special Education unit and elected to participate in campus-supervised instruction will return to campuses along with their teachers and campus administrators. Three more phases follow with campus entries scheduled for October 19, 26, and November 4.
About Comerica Bank
Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $84 billion at June 30, 2020.
For more information about Comerica Bank, visit www.comerica.com
About We the Village
We the Village is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to support children with incarcerated parents to prepare them to become successful, engaged, and productive young leaders. We assure that our children with incarcerated parents have opportunities to be cared for and supported in their development by responsible adults, helping professionals, and others in their communities.
For more information about We the Village, visit www.we-thevillage.org
About DeSoto Independent School District
DeSoto ISD is a public independent school district serving more than 8,400 students and 1,000 employees. The district comprises 12 campuses serving students from early childhood through graduation. DeSoto ISD’s mission statement is preparing students academically and socially to be problem solvers and productive citizens. The district’s 2020 Strategic Plan focuses on individualized learning, quality teachers, equal access and relationships in an effort to provide a holistic and well-rounded educational experience to students and families in DeSoto, Glenn Heights, and Ovilla.
For more information about DeSoto ISD, visit www.desotoisd.org.
