The Lawrence Teachers’ Union and the American Federation of Teachers held a fundraiser to provide school supplies to students at the Bruce School in Lawrence, after a fire at the school resulted in 250 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders losing much of their school supplies.
Donations can still be made at aft.org/bruce-school-relief. The American Federation of Teachers committed to start the fund with a contribution of $1,000. Donations funded school supplies, such as loose leaf paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, notebooks, folders, and calculators.
“Everyone at the Lawrence Public Schools and the Bruce School has been doing amazing work to reopen the school as soon as possible, but hundreds of students still need our help to replace school supplies that were lost in the fire,” said Lawrence Teachers’ Union President Frank McLaughlin. “We’re asking our union brothers and sisters and members of the community to help these students at a critical time.”
On Wednesday, November 23rd the Lawrence Teachers’ Union distributed backpacks, purchased through a generous discount from Famous Footwear in Braintree, and school supply kits from FirstBook to 50 students who were most affected by the fire. FirstBook, which held a free book giveaway in Lowell on Saturday with the United Teachers of Lowell and the AFT Massachusetts, also donated 500 new books to the Bruce School and affected students.
