It all started when a StoneBridge School donor and Board member, Mr. Glenn Nunziata, inquired about the school’s technology needs. Head of School Mrs. Kathy Rader explained that in addition to a much-needed server upgrade, our teachers really needed new computers. The sudden shift to virtual learning in the Spring had highlighted the critical need and made it even more urgent. The budget, however, would only allow us to purchase a new laptop for all our teachers over the next three years – not a great position to be in considering most computers were already well past their lifespan.
Equipping each teacher with a laptop immediately would cost close to $70,000. In response, the Development team made a plan to extend our Annual Spring Appeal with targeted asks for laptop contributions. Mr. Nunziata had agreed to match whatever we raised.
“The sudden shift to virtual learning in the Spring had highlighted the critical need and made it even more urgent. The budget, however, would only allow us to purchase a new laptop for all our teachers over the next three years”
The goal was ambitious as we set out to see what we could raise in a traditionally low fundraising season. As donors began making contributions, Pre-K teacher Mrs. Sarah Butler even persuaded her parents, Erica and Michael Butler, to help. At the end of our extended two-week appeal, we raised $19,000–far more than we anticipated given the small window of time and many being out for the summer. When we combined what we raised with the budgeted funding, we had just enough to buy about a third of the laptops needed.
Just as Jesus thanked the Father for the five loaves and two fish brought to him, we all thanked God for what we had raised and asked him to bless it according to our needs. We were incredibly grateful.
But God…
But the story just gets richer! When we priced laptops again—funding in hand—we found a much better deal! We were able to buy more than double what we originally thought we could! Just as Jesus had multiplied the fish and loaves to feed the multitude, he multiplied the number of laptops our funding would supply!
Once the computers arrived, volunteers Bryan Brahan, Jesse Torres, Garnett Yeatts, Esther Campbell, and Bobby, Jennie, and Hannah Gross worked all day the Saturday before school started, helping Mrs. Kim Cease set them up.
So, in a year that has proved so challenging for so many, we stand in awe of how God brought a community together and multiplied these much-needed laptops for our teachers! We are grateful to all who contributed and are thankful to the Lord for his abundant blessing!
