Pictured in the back row are Kim (Williams) Bielawski with her son Kal Bielawski, left, and brother Mike Williams, right. Kim Bielawski and the school district she works for in Raytown, Missouri donated a U-Haul truck full of school supplies (more than 400 kits) to Marshalltown Schools. Also pictured are Anson Elementary School students who helped unload the supplies.
Kim (Williams) Bielawski, a 1984 Marshalltown High School graduate, and her current co-workers just gave back to her old community in a big way.
Bielawski brought a U-Haul truck full of school supplies to donate to the Marshalltown Community School District in the wake of the July 19 tornado.
Bielawski still has family in Marshalltown and works as an administrator in the Raytown, Missouri School District. Staff from Raytown Quality Schools donated more than 400 school supply kits, which were delivered to Marshalltown on August 2. Bielawski said she has a special feeling about Marshalltown being born and raised here and knew she had to do something after the tornado hit.
“I work with such caring and compassionate school leaders that when I mentioned my hometown, my (Raytown Schools) Superintendent Dr. Allan Markley, stepped up and said we’re all doing something for Marshalltown,” Bielawski said. “We wanted to first and foremost help the kids so school supplies is where we focused but along the way many of our directors, principals and assistant principals wanted to help the community too so several donated cleaning supplies, paper goods, gift cards and other helpful items.”
She said her neighbors also heard about her idea and dropped off items at her home.
“I’m thrilled to drive the 250 miles to deliver these heartfelt items,” Bielawski said. “Helping kids and families is the most important work I do so being able to do that in my hometown makes it 100 times more special.”
The donation was welcomed with open arms by Marshalltown Schools.
“This is a very generous donation which will go to families in need,” said Marshalltown Schools Communications Director Andrew Potter. “We thank Kim and the Raytown School District from the bottom of our heart.”
Volunteers unload a U-Haul truck full of school supplies donated to Marshalltown Schools by the Raytown Missouri School District.
