Boone Hope Foundation a model for other communities

Teachers get to spend more time with kids most days than many parents do, so it only makes sense that they could be the best line of defense when things go wrong.

Anyone who knows teachers also knows they are very busy people.

That’s why it’s so impressive that teachers in the Boone Community School District took it upon themselves to start a charity 11 years ago that helps families in times of financial distress.

As the Boone Hope Foundation gears up for what promises to be another successful holiday fundraiser Dec. 5, it also makes one wonder if the concept could be replicated elsewhere.

It can. And its founders hope it will be.

One good reason: Child poverty has grown significantly in Iowa over the past decade, topping 16 percent at last count in 2012.

But first, some information about the foundation's upcoming Festival of Hope:

Anyone can show up in the commons of Boone High School, 500 7th St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that Saturday to browse a range of items for the silent auction.

Different grades are preparing 130 to 140 gift baskets to bid on — from collections of craft beers to world crafts to books, wreaths, restaurant gift cards and special items for a date night.

Volunteers will also sell soup, coffee and desserts at what’s called the Hope Cafe, run by a family consumer science teacher. Anyone for salted caramel crumb cake?

And then there’s entertainment and the Hope Boutique, where Christmas tree ornaments, bags and other crafty low-cost items will be for sale.

Consider these wildly impressive numbers:

The Boone district has just more than 2,100 students.

So far this year, The Boone Hope Foundation has provided more than $42,000 to help families with emergency funds to keep them stable in the community.

Roughly half of that money, $19,354, has been used to provide rent, deposits and other revenue to keep families in their homes or out of homeless shelters, according to Jane Dupuis, an English teacher in the district who helps spearhead the annual event.

“We know if we can keep them stable and in school, they’ll be more stable in life,” Dupuis said.

Is the Boone Hope Foundation unique? That's hard to say. But no one I spoke with was aware of a similar teacher-run charitable nonprofit in Iowa.

Dupuis speculates that’s because teachers are so busy during the school year that not many elsewhere would likely contemplate such an endeavor.

The foundation these days involves all who work for the district —  bus drivers, lunchroom employees, teachers and custodians. A group of six board members review every request made, and two members sign off on every check given to a family. All the spending is overseen by an accountant.

In the vast majority of cases, families are only eligible for one-time assistance. But exceptions have been made in the event of illnesses involving parents or children, Dupuis said.

“We keep very-detailed records on the amount of money given, how many kids the family has in school,” Dupuis said. “We aren’t the solution for a family to get out of poverty. We use the analogy that we’re a Band-Aid.”

About 47 percent of students in the Boone district are on free and reduced-priced lunch.

Last year’s festival raised $46,703.94, but the needs of families have grown.

“Two years ago, we ran out of money in November and the community filled the gaps,” Dupuis said. “People really like the idea that the money is raised here and spent here. Our overhead is really, really low.”

Teachers at most schools try to help students in need, finding coats or school supplies or lunch money. But Dupuis said the foundation allows district employees to do something on a larger scale.

“It’s such a relief to be able to say, ‘Listen is your power off? Can we pay your power bill?’ “ she said. “Anybody who works with people knows that you have these people who stick in your mind… You sleep better, and you can put your worries or guilt to rest.”

The Boone Hope Foundation also serves Trinity Lutheran and Sacred Heart Schools, parochial schools in town.

Ann Haugland, one of the founders of the foundation, said the group does not try to ramp up what it raises every year like some charities. Rather, it spends what it raises.

The foundation is also a reliable resource for families, unlike occasional fundraisers.

Haugland retired from the Boone district eight years ago and went to work for Iowa State University. Now, she’s working with the Grimes school district to get a similar foundation going there. She said her dream is to help many Iowa districts do the same.

“It’s just so doable,” she said. “The money is raised in the community and spent in the community. The assistance is immediate. Why wouldn’t we want to try to reach every community in the state?”

If you are interested in starting a similar foundation, contact Haugland at Ahaugland@yahoo.com.

Do you have an event or worth cause that Lee Rood should highlight over the holidays? Reach her at lrood @dmreg.com.