"I am incredibly fortunate to work with a group of fantastic high school students everyday. I look forward to seeing them come to school each morning full of excitement for the new day. These students are hard workers and happen to have developmental disabilities. They are eager to learn the skills...
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"I am incredibly fortunate to work with a group of fantastic high school students everyday. I look forward to seeing them come to school each morning full of excitement for the new day. These students are hard workers and happen to have developmental disabilities. They are eager to learn the skills necessary for their independence in the future.
During this past school year we developed a Life Skills Culinary Arts program that was approved by our school administration. The program will begin at the start of the 2009/2010 school year. My students will be cooking on a weekly basis, learning the importance of proper food preparation and nutrition. The students will also plan, prepare, and serve teachers and staff a quality meal for lunch once a month as part of a working cafe on campus.
Although this program is approved by our administration, it is not fully-funded by our school or by the school district. My students will be raising the money for purchasing needed kitchen supplies and food. Currently our classroom has a 3.3 Cu. Ft. (dorm-size) refrigerator. This refrigerator is less than ideal for the proper storage of food for the Life Skills Culinary Arts program.
We are in need of a full size refrigerator that is accessible for all of my students. The LG 19.7 Cu.Ft. bottom-mount refrigerator will meet the needs of all my students. This bottom-mount refrigerator will provide ample storage room for organizing our groceries for the program. Since the freezer section is on the bottom all of my students including those in wheelchairs will be able to access the lower shelves of the refrigerator and the freezer.
My students need to have the ability to cook for themselves as well as learn the skills necessary for working in the food service industry. The Life Skills Culinary Arts program is a vital part of my students high school curriculum. Your donation to this project will help the open the doors to employment and independence for these hard working students.
My students need an accessible refrigerator/freezer to keep the food fresh for our new culinary arts program.
See Mrs. K.'s class participating in this project!
(Enlarge photos)
Nov 11, 2009
Dear Georgina, Rosemarie, Amy, Andrea, Robby, Julie, Jenna, Theresa Kirchner, Shannon, Catherine, Kris (Marissa's Mom), Gigi, Monica Oatez(Marcus Mom), Melissa, Kelly Speidel, Anita, my husband, stephanie, Susan, Mrs. D, charmaine, Denise, HP and Anonymous Donor,
Thank you so much for your contributions toward our classroom full-size refrigerator. The refrigerator has already come in very handy in our classroom. We have been able to store groceries for our classroom cooking classes, our Halloween party, and for the Staff Bistro.
In our cooking class my students made a banana pancake breakfast, complete with chicken sausage and orange juice. The students followed the recipes on the packaging to properly cook all of the items. The best part was eating the breakfast. The refrigerator was an important part in keeping our orange juice, milk, and butter cold.
For Halloween this year my class hosted a Halloween party for 2 other classes. The students in my class prepared Jell-O Jigglers, cookies and lemonade for the party. The refrigerator has plenty of space for the Jell-O and several pitchers of lemonade.
Once a month my students with students from 2 other special needs classrooms plan, prepare, and serve a lunch to 30+ members of the staff at our high school. The refrigerator is an integral part of this program. We are able to gather perishable ingredients for a few days before the bistro. This month my class prepared pumpkin bars which needed to be refrigerated prior to serving. Without the full-size refrigerator we would not have been able to prepare this meal.
Next week my student will be hosting a lunch for their parents and caregivers. This will be a time for them to show their parents how they work in the kitchen.
Thanks again for your contribution. Thank you for making all of the above projects possible. We will continue to utilize the refrigerator for years to come. You have made a difference for these students who are learning the life skill of cooking.
With gratitude, Mrs. K.
Mrs. K. sent this note after the project was fully funded:
Oct 19, 2009
Dear Georgina, Rosemarie, Amy, Andrea, Robby, Julie, Jenna, Theresa Kirchner, Shannon, Catherine, Kris (Marissa's Mom), Gigi, Monica Oatez(Marcus Mom), Melissa, Kelly Speidel, Anita, my husband, stephanie, Susan, Mrs. D, charmaine, Denise, HP and Anonymous Donor,
Thank you so much for supporting this project. My students will now have a full-size refrigerator to store groceries and meals that they prepare. This will help my students learn nutrition, meal preparation, and cooking skills that are essential for independent living.
We are looking forward to making holiday meals and inviting the parents of my students into the classroom in the near future.
Pictures will be posted as soon as the refrigerator arrives. Your generosity is a tremendous gift to my students.
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Amanda X. (volunteer)
on Jul 2, 2009
Verified the cost of the requested supplies and posted this project.
John C. (associate)
on Jul 3, 2009
"I gave to this project because...I have benefited from the generosity, love, and caring of others. "
Robby
from Virginia
gave
on Aug 22, 2009
"Thank you Robby for your generous donation! It is a great start to my project. I am having a super school year, my students are looking forward to our culinary arts class."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Aug 22, 2009
"I gave to this project because I believe in Theresa and stand by her commitment for teaching."
Anita
from California
gave
on Aug 22, 2009
"I donated becuase I think nutritional education and learning to cook for yourself is so important. I am excited to "see" what these students whip up!"
Andrea
from San Francisco, CA
gave
in support of California
on Sep 2, 2009
"Thank you Anita and Andrea for your donations. It is so kind of you to donate to this project and I am looking forward to posting pictures of what we "whip UP!""
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Sep 2, 2009
"I gave to this project because Mrs. Kirchner is my friend and I used to be a teacher, too! Have fun using your new refrigerator!"
Kelly Speidel
from APO Europe
gave
on Sep 23, 2009
"I gave to this project because...Mrs. Kirchner is so passionate about her class and it inspires us all! Also, I volunteer teaching blind/visually impaired adults to get back in the kitchen and cook, so this project is very dear to my heart.
Enjoy :)"
Melissa
from California
gave
on Sep 23, 2009
"Kelly and Melissa,
Thank you so much for your donation and very kind words! We are getting closer and closer to having the fridge in the classroom. I can't wait to post the pictures!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Sep 24, 2009
"I helped because I'm a strong believer in education."
A donor
gave
on Sep 24, 2009
"I gave to this project to support my daughter's classroom."
Theresa Kirchner
gave
on Sep 24, 2009
"Thank you anonymous donor for your donation and for being such a strong believer in education. Such nice words for a teacher to hear!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Sep 24, 2009
"Maria, Thank you for your donation toward our project. We are getting closer to having the fridge in the classroom."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Sep 28, 2009
"A pleasure to help out Theresa Kirchner's class. Hope they get their refrigerator."
Rosemarie (K's mom)
from Vallejo, CA
gave
in honor of Rosemarie from Vallejo, CA
on Sep 29, 2009
"Rosemarie, Thank you for your support on this project...it's a big one. Also, thanks again for your support of the projects last year."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Sep 29, 2009
"I gave to this project because... Because the kids will really benefit from this item. "
Monica Oatez(Marcus Mom)
from Vallejo, CA
gave
on Sep 30, 2009
"WOW! 14 donors to this project! Thanks so much! We are getting so close to having the new fridge. Thank you to recent donations from Jenna, Julie, Gigi, and Shannon. I am very grateful for your generosity."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 2, 2009
"I helped because I'm a strong believer in Special Needs education."
Susan
from California
gave
on Oct 2, 2009
"Susan, Thank you so much for your donation. I am touched by your kindness and generosity."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 2, 2009
"I gave to this project because...my daughter is in Mrs. K 's class @ Jesse Bethel. She tells me everyday how great her day was at school. Thank You Mrs. K . You have found a way for me to help your class .I've passed this site on to family and friends who want to help too!!"
Kris (Marissa's Mom)
from California
gave
on Oct 6, 2009
"Kris and family, Thank you for your support donating to this project. Your kind words are priceless. Thanks so much!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 6, 2009
"HP is pleased to contribute to the Social Media Challenge and support teachers and students."
"I gave to this project to support Mark's classroom. The refrigerator will help him and his classmates learn the valuable life skill of cooking. "
Theresa Kirchner
gave
on Oct 11, 2009
"Thank you HP from Palo Alto for giving to this project. We are getting so close to having the refrigerator and the ability to enhance our culinary arts program."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 11, 2009
"Casandra, Thank you for your support of this project. You have helped us get closer to our goal. Mark and his classmates will be very grateful for your donation."
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 11, 2009
"I gave to this project because i am a teacher and love cooking and i love to support causes that can directly help those in need!"
"Amy, Thank you so much for your donation. We are getting so close to having this refrigerator in our classroom that I have my students picturing it in place!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 14, 2009
"I donated because I am a fellow teacher who understands the many challenges you must face each and every day. I applaud your very creative culinary arts program, and I hope that your students will develop the same passion for cooking that I have!"
"Catherine and Reana, Thank you for you recent donations. We are getting very excited about possibly getting this refrigerator in our classroom before Thanksgiving!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 17, 2009
"I gave to this project because I want to support this great learning opportunity."
"Shannon, your donation is greatly appreciated. I will soon be posting pictures of the refrigerator in our classroom thanks to donors like you. Only $215 to go!"
The teacher Mrs. K.
on Oct 17, 2009
"I helped because I'm a strong believer in Special Needs education."
"Charmaine and Georgina, Thank you for your contributions that have fully funded this project. You are the reason the refrigerator will be in our classroom before Halloween!"
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Amanda X. (volunteer)
on Jul 2, 2009
Mrs. D
from Brentwood, CA
gave
in support of 
