On Thursday, September 17, 2020, the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation delivered 75 Chromebooks to Superintendent Dr. April Vauss and the students of Irvington Public Schools. This donation is part of WeLoveU’s Closing the Homework Gap program that identifies schools, districts, counties and states in need of computers and donates necessary equipment to facilitate distance learning. Support from donors and corporate sponsors made the delivery possible.
At 1 p.m., the special donation ceremony commenced at Madison Avenue Elementary School. Special guest speakers included Dr. April Vauss, Mayor Tony Vauss and two WeLoveU representatives. A handful of audience members, who were physically distancing and wearing facial coverings, included members from the Irvington Board of Education, parents, students and WeLoveU volunteers.
A Word From Our Partners
Mayor Tony Vauss Superintendent Dr. April Vauss
Alex Post from the WeLoveU Foundation kicked-off the event and welcomed the participants. Before welcoming Mayor Tony Vauss to the podium, he shared an overview about the Foundation’s Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah and its local volunteerism.
Mayor Tony Vauss stepped forward to the podium and said, “It seems like only yesterday we were talking about the digital divide and the gap between students being able to log on and have the access to proper equipment such as Chromebook and other types of computers. Today is a testament to the WeLoveU Foundation, who stepped into action during this pandemic and said that they will not sit on the sideline. They will make sure the students, not only of Irvington, but other communities have the tools to they need to survive this pandemic. Let’s give them a big round of applause.”
Next, Mayor Vauss introduced Superintendent Dr. April Vauss. She said, “It has been a wonderful month and a half with the WeLoveU Foundation. I got to participate in one of their webinars where I got to see first-hand what [the] WeLoveU Foundation is all about. I am so pleased by their willingness to give of themselves and we gave them an outrageous number of Chromebooks that we needed and they worked diligently to provide us with what you see over here on the side. When you have people, who are willing to work hard for scholars, you know they are the salt of the earth. I want to thank the WeLoveU Foundation; I want to thank their Chairwoman. I look forward to our continued partnership and mutual service not only for the Irvington community but internationally as well.”
Honorable Board Member Carmela Liza Vice President of Community Engagement John Casas
Honorable WeLoveU Board Member Carmela Liza and Vice President of Community Engagement John Casas shared a few words following Mayor Vauss and Superintendent Dr. April Vauss. Ms. Liza shared a few words from the Chairwoman to inspire hope to the audience during the coronavirus pandemic. She continued by saying, “As someone who has witnessed the Chairwoman’s acts of love and concern for our global village, it became important to me, and the Foundation on the East Coast, to advance her work by sharing love and happiness to those facing difficulties. We see you, we hear you and we are here to give a helping hand.”
Then, Ms. Liza introduced Mr. John Casas, who also moderated the Closing the Homework Gap Webinar. “The WeLoveU Foundation’s Closing the Homework Gap program became an outlet to raise awareness about this issue and an avenue for people to channel their support by donating directly to the cause,” he said. “I hope we can continue increasing awareness. As long as there is a need, the WeLoveU Foundation will continue making efforts to support its communities.”
After the opening remarks, photos to commemorate the delivery were taken. All participants kept a safe distance from one another, adhering to the regulations set by the Center for Diseases Control. Before concluding, Mayor Tony Vauss presented the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation with a proclamation.
The WeLoveU Foundation hopes to continue working with the Township of Irvington in closing the gap amongst other projects. The Closing the Homework Gap is also supporting school districts in Newark, NJ, and Hartford, CT.
3 thoughts on “WeLoveU Foundation Delivers Chromebooks to Irvington Public Schools”
I love how quickly the International WeLoveU Foundation took initiative to see the issue of digital divide and homework gap and made a lot of effort to see to it that the community was being taken care of! I hope many people will continue to support and join the International WeLoveU Foundation in all there future community services!
The digital divide will have a significant effect on students for the rest of their lives. WeLoveU took a grass roots approach to actively seek solutions while partnering with schools. So glad to see this event!
It is amazing to see the beautiful work being done by the WeLoveU Foundation during these difficult and testing times. I believe these Chromebooks will be greatly appreciated by the students who really need it in order to excel during this time of conducting their school work from home and where they desperately need tools like a Chromebook in order to stay connected and excel in school! I am very lucky to be part of the WeLoveU foundation who is extending a helping hand during this time!