I know lots of us want to support the citizens of Newtown. There are lots of places to send money, but here's one I can strongly endorse.
It hasn't been talked about a lot this week, but the teachers, school secretaries, and custodians of Newtown, are all represented by AFT, and the AFT on the Federal, State, and especially the Local level have been working and planning and struggling to support the educational mission of the educators of Newtown in the months and years to come. Those heroes who died in the attack are in all our thoughts this holiday season; those heroes who survived will need our help to continue their vital lives' work.
As this new donation site promises
With your donation, we'll let every Newtown teacher request materials that their students need — from a reading nook, to art supplies, to seeds and soil for a memorial garden. Newtown teachers and their students may even choose to use your donation to support a classroom in another community, finding solace in the act of helping others.
With endorsements by Randi Weingarten, President American Federation of Teachers, Melodie Peters, President, AFT Connecticut, and Tom Kuroski, President, Newtown Federation of Teachers, you can be sure these funds will go where they can do some good:
"DonorsChoose.org is a wonderful way to support the teachers of Newtown," said Melodie Peters, president of AFT Connecticut. "By donating on this website people can help our teachers meet their students' needs during this difficult time."
[originally published on Christmas Eve, but I'm trying again for a good cause.]