KATHY MOREE

Kathy Moree has been a most valued supporter and contributor to the educational needs of the students of W. F. Burns-Oak Hill Elementary since she enrolled her grandson in the school in the summer of 1999.

Moree is not just a volunteer, for her mission is to provide “whatever needs to be done,” so that the essential materials, supplies, decorations, or manpower are available to ensure that the school project or event comes off without a hitch. Her generous gifts of her time and talents, which are immeasurable, have benefited so many of the students and families at the W. F. Burns-Oak Hill Elementary School.

Moree is the volunteer coordinator, whose motto is “we do it for the students” and whose mission is to coordinate the efforts of business partners, community members, mentors and volunteers, to provide a solution to meet the needs of the families. The school is small and located in a rural area, with over 75% of the population on free/reduced lunch. The key support system is the Family Center, which Moree mans daily and stocks with basic home and school supplies. Families redeem “school volunteer coupons” to procure the items they need or want. The students can also visit the Family Center to borrow a toy or game to play, or to shop with coupons that the mentors donate back to the students.

Moree’s accomplishments are many: she provided all the decorated cans for the school’s “Pennies for Your Thoughts” September 11th campaign and the decorations for their Patriotic Celebration; she assisted with the set-up and dinners for FCAT Writes! Parent Night and the FCAT Hands-On for Parents Night; and, she provided the community volunteers for “Granny Reads to Me” Day, along with enough rocking chairs for the Grannies and helping them choose the right book to read; along with running the Family Center and volunteering in classrooms daily.

Moree is the action and involvement behind the effort to find the necessary volunteers, supplies and tools to support the teachers in the classroom, which ultimately focuses to student achievement. If they want accomplished results, they ask Moree to help. She is a sincere, dedicated and positive support for the students. It is through her true commitment to education that they obtain the means to help the students whose families are unable to provide the necessary tools themselves.