Virtual learning amid the novel coronavirus pandemic has put some students at a disadvantage, as not every family can afford the supplies they need to work from home.
Jessica Berrellez of Gaithersburg, Maryland, didn’t realize how big of a problem this was until she helped create home learning kits for kids at her daughter’s school. As she spoke to their parents, she realized many of them didn’t even have a desk. That’s when she and her husband Al agreed to do something about it!
Instead of buying and donating secondhand desks, the parents of three decided to make an even larger impact by involving their community.
Al designed an inexpensive, easy-to-build desk and shared the blueprint on Facebook. With that, their Desks by Dads project began!
Local dads have since joined in to build and deliver more than 24 desks to low-income families across the city! What’s more, they are regularly tweaking the design to improve every student’s learning experience.
For Jessica, it’s been incredible to highlight the great things dads are doing for kids – and not just their own!
“Oftentimes, it’s the moms who are sort of responsible for supporting and organizing our children’s education and more actively involved in volunteering, so this is a nice way to get dads involved and to capitalize on their strength,” she told GMA.
Of course, the most satisfying part by far is seeing how much the students love their new workspaces!
“The pride in their faces is awesome. It’s so heartwarming,” Jessica added. “I think on a very basic level, it’s just about basic dignity and pride of learning.”
What a beautiful way for communities to support each other! Every child deserves a comfortable place to learn, no matter what’s going on in the world around them. Thank you, Al and Jessica, for using your skills to make sure no student falls behind!
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