NONPROFIT
Helping Hands often provides food for teacher areas on campus to show teacher appreciation.
BY BROOKE SJOBERG Helping Hands for RRISD Nonpro t works to meet teacher needs in and out of classroom A s a former teacher, Laura Raetzsch Unnasch knows educators sometimes have to rely on their communities to meet professional and personal needs. One teacher appreciation event organized by Helping Hands included hand massages for teachers and sta . PHOTOS COURTESY HELPING HANDS FOR RRISD
Founder Laura Raetzsch Unnasch is a former teacher.
There are multiple ways to assist Helping Hands for RRISD, a nonpro t that helps meet the needs of district sta and teachers. WAYS TO GIVE
supply purchases to assistance paying rent. Those interested in helping can join the Face- book group and contribute anything from positive encouragement to wish ful llment, she said. Each weekday comes with its own objective, she said. As one example, on Wish Wednesday, teachers and sta can share their classroom needs. “It could be something that [community members] already have at their house, or the community member orders what [teachers] need from Amazon,” Raetzsch Unnasch said. On one occasion, a teacher sought donations to help students impacted by the March 2021 tornado, which saw many Round Rock homes damaged. Another time, supporters crowdfunded money to help teachers struggling to cover rent. As the school year approaches, she said the group will need more hands and contributions. “My goal was to bring some sense of unity, and that’s there,” she said.
Monetary donations
That’s why Raetzsch Unnasch founded Helping Hands for RRISD in December 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She described Helping Hands as a nonpro t that connects Round Rock ISD sta with community members to spread positivity. “It was so important for us to come together as a community and show our support of these teachers making huge sacri ces,” Raetzsch Unnasch said. The mission of the nonpro t started as par- ent-coordinated displays of appreciation, such as signs placed at each campus thanking teachers and sta for all they do. Raetzsch Unnasch said Helping Hands now reg- ularly assists teachers with everything from school
Volunteering time to organize appreciation events
Gift card or prize donations
Classroom and school supply donations
Helping Hands for RRISD Facebook: Helping Hands for RRISD
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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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