With reports of over 100 persons dead and up to 40,000 persons missing or stranded, parent Silvia Backlund of Temecula Valley Charter School could not sit back and watch the news of the two storms that caused flooding in and around Acapulco.
She knew of families at school that were waiting anxiously to hear about the fate of their family members living in that area.
Backlund set about to find a way to support those in Mexico.
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Within a few hours, she found someone willing to drive a U-haul the 2,000 miles to bring clothing, canned goods, and other necessities. By 8 p.m., Thursday, September 19, 2013, she contacted social studies teacher Shane Zazula about enlisting help and support from the students and families of TVCS. Zazula sent an email out to his students and within hours the entire school was notified and the outpouring of kindness began to arrive by 8 a.m .the next morning.
By the end of school, seven truckloads of supplies were loaded into the U-haul and departed for Acapulco.
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Zazula explained, “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this shows how willing the families here at TVCS rally to support others. This has been truly amazing.”
Zazula’s classes also wrote letters to the victims and their families as a way for the students to connect with others. --Contributed content.
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