San Rafael Educators Donate Stimulus Money to Support Immigrant Families
June 30, 2020
By EMILY MALONEY | June 24, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Canal Alliance is grateful to the San Rafael Teachers Association (SRTA), who, inspired by other school districts in the area, are encouraging the San Rafael City Schools community to donate a portion of their stimulus checks to local immigrant families.
The SRTA chose to launch this campaign because they recognize that immigrant families in their district face particularly difficult circumstances in the wake of COVID-19 and the shelter in place order. Many families rely on jobs that cannot be done from home, and thus have experienced significant income loss, and are also unable to access the federal stimulus payment, unemployment benefits, and other public supports.
Brianna Padilla, Freddy Dominguez, and Talia Krahling of Venetia Valley School share more about why SRTA educators chose to donate their stimulus payments to support immigrant families:
“The San Rafael Teachers Association, along with our partnering unions and Central Services Office, recognized that many of the families that we serve as educators were struggling. Many of our families have positions in the service sector, which was one of the segments of the economy that was hardest hit by COVID-19. Using the models established by teachers in Oakland and San Francisco, we decided to ask our membership to consider donating a portion of their stimulus checks to help support our families in need. Since then, the members of the San Rafael community have pledged and donated over ten thousand dollars.
As educators, we recognize that our commitment to our students extends beyond the classroom. Our purpose is to set our students and their families up to be happy, healthy, and successful. Making these contributions to Canal Alliance helps to ensure that our families continue to have our support despite the physical distance between us.”
As of today, Canal Alliance is grateful to announce that, together, 30 educators from the San Rafael School District have raised over $11,000 for Canal Alliance’s Client Support Fund! This money goes directly to local immigrant families to help them meet their unique needs – from paying rent and bills, to buying necessities like medicine and diapers.
Thank you, San Rafael Teachers Association, for your commitment to supporting local children and families, both inside and outside of the classroom.
