At Bell School, a K-8 school in Chicago, one of the boys’
bathrooms has not had a sink for 12 years. Last year, the school
was written up for having cracks in the cafeteria floor. In the
90-year-old building, it’s no surprise that bathroom sinks are
missing, ceiling tiles are moldy, and walls are starting to crumble.
The biggest problem though is that the school doesn’t have the
budget to make the repairs. So the 915 students have simply
become accustomed to these failings. Enter Gary Dehne, the new
engineer at Bell School. “My goal is to make every bathroom,
every classroom, a place where I would feel comfortable, where
my kids would feel comfortable,” he said. While working at his
last school, Gary discovered World Vision and now secures
products like paint, toilets, sinks, faucets, and even coat hooks,
to make Bell School a clean, safe environment for the students.
These daily essentials, school and office supplies, medical supplies and health
care items, and building materials exist to improve the quality of life for families
battling the damaging effects of poverty. By receiving these necessities from World Vision, families are better able to budget their limited resources and provide for their
children.