In March, we wrote about BASIS Flagstaff History Teacher Andrew Robarge and the amazing work he has been doing for nearby Navajo and Hopi communities. Since 2020, Robarge has been busy organizing donation drives, working with local volunteer groups, and delivering supplies to communities in need.
Today, we wanted to share an update from Robarge and the BASIS Flagstaff community. On August 6, 2023, Robarge’s partners on the Navajo Nation, Shield of Faith ministries, completed a large school supply distribution. The group distributed over 40 backpacks filled with school supplies—and the vast majority of these supplies were donated by BASIS Flagstaff families!
Over the next few weeks, supplies continued to pour in. On August 24, 2023, three more boxes of school supplies were donated to Shield of Faith Ministries.
BASIS Flagstaff’s donation drive has spread to other parts of the Flagstaff community, too. A teacher at BASIS Flagstaff, Ms. Dezi, put Robarge in contact with the pharmacy department at a local hospital. The department completed their own donation drive and purchased over 20 more backpacks for the Navajo Nation! These backpacks will soon be stocked with school supplies donated by BASIS Flagstaff families.
The impact of BASIS Flagstaff’s donations is evidenced by the story of Charles—a father of five who was worried about how to provide school supplies for his children. Due to family situations, Charles had to take in and care for eleven more kids before the start of the school year, meaning he had to provide school supplies for a total of sixteen children. Needless to say, the donations from BASIS Flagstaff and its community partners provided some much-needed relief to Charles and his family.
Reflecting on the donations, Robarge said, “I am so thankful to the amazing support from both BASIS families and faculty that took part in this school supply drive. We’ve made a real difference in the lives of our Navajo and Hopi neighbors.”
Thank you to all the BASIS Flagstaff teachers, staff, and families who donated! We love seeing the impact that our BASIS Charter School campuses are having on their local communities. To learn more about what our schools have been up to lately, check out the “School News” section of our blog.
