Lonny Lemon, a Superintendent of Schools in the NW Chicago Suburbs, has been collecting discarded pencils off of the floors each day and delivering them to an elementary school in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the past five years.
Over the year, Lemon and custodians at the schools have collected over 15,000 pencils that are delivered to Puerto Vallarta students over the Christmas and Spring break periods.
The students aren’t in session, so Lemon never met them, but always put a note with the pencils, describing who he is, and throw them into the covered courtyard.
For the first time ever last March, the students were in session when Lemon arrived, so he was able to finally go inside and meet them. What he witnessed broke his heart. The students have nothing. The floor is unpainted concrete, there are no bookshelves, the teachers have no supplies. The desks (pictured) are all horrifically worn and damaged. There aren’t any in decent shape.
Lemon would like to replace the desks, if possible, with the generosity of those who would like to help fund this project.
Twenty years ago, Lemon met and befriended a local Mexican family who run a small flea market business next door. They have become his “Mexican Family.” The local family is now assisting in the project to help over 800 students at Ignacio L. Vallarta School.
The schools needs approximately 400 desks that can be purchased in Puerto Vallarta for $65 USD each, with a total goal of $25,000 to provide kids with a better learning environment.
Want to contribute, donate at GoFundMe.