Jan 9, 2018 2 min read

Prior to August, when Hurricane Harvey hit, the library used by the Hitchcock, Texas, Head Start, a federally funded program for about 220 3- and 4-year-old students, consisted of a rug and one small shelf of books in a hallway of their building.

After visiting the area in the wake of the hurricane, members of 84 Lumber’s Building Hope Foundation felt a strong desire to help. The team set to work building a new and expanded library, which opened Dec. 15.

The company donated $6,000 in building materials and 800 pounds of gently used books collected by the company’s Team Headquarters, area libraries and local women’s business enterprises.

Many businesses supported 84 Lumber to ensure the students have the chance to meet their full learning potential. Each student received a backpack – donated by Carol Philip of CPI Creative, a local WBE – with a new book, a coloring book and crayons. The new books were donated by Anne Givan of Waste Disposal Solutions, one of 84 Lumber’s WBE suppliers.

Several local WBEs helped the company donate $900 to the Hitchcock ISD Education Foundation, and sporting equipment was provided by the nonprofit Game Changers of New York.

“I was so moved by the genuine desire of Hitchcock’s community leaders to recognize, in the face of adversity, that education remains a gift for the innocent members of their community,” said Stacy Klein, 84 Lumber’s executive director of the Building Hope Foundation. “84 Lumber is proud to be a part of their recovery and sustainability.”

A ceremony was held at Hitchcock Head Start Program, where students and parents, community leaders and Chamber of Commerce members were present to celebrate the new space.