Let me tell you about a woman who has done something no Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray or even Emeril could do.
JoAnn Keene has me baking cookies, and I hope by the time you hear her story you will too. Or at least donate your old coat to her.
Keene is the Home School Coordinator at McKinley School in the East End of Bridgeport. She spends her day, and from what I see, every waking hour year-round working to help people in need. The day I met her, she ran around introducing me to everyone on staff at the school. She is the first person parents know, because she reaches out. Not only does she visit classrooms to try to figure out what students need, she makes sure parents and older siblings have coats and clothes as well. She says, "they need to be warm too!"
Keene has one room at the school where she stores as many coats, blankets, cribs and extra clothes as she can. Currently she says she doesn't have as many adult coats as she needs. But she says if only she could get a trailer, or some sort of storage area, she'd fill it with donated items and offer them to anyone in the community who needed a change of clothes or bite to eat.
It might sound like an extreme desire at a school where education budget cuts have cost them after-school programs and a computer lab. But the principal at McKinley, Mr.William Rice, says he supports anything Keene says she wants to do because he knows she is capable, even if she has to do all on her own. He says he was amazed at her past Thanksgiving drive. He said he watched her, from October, compile names for donations, aquire donations, then pack all the boxes herself. He said she then packed the majority of the items in her own car and drove to homes to makes sure everyone had a turkey. At one point she had to drive from agency to agency to find turkeys for some homes.
Keene needs cookies for the Christmas Pageant at McKinley School. It is Wednesday, December 20th at the school at 342 Logan. She'd also love cupcakes, cake, chips, snacks or any other favorite dish.
That is one project. Her other holiday undertaking is Zandra's Kids. Back in 2001, she says a young, beautiful, talented angel walked into the school looking for ways to help. It was Alexandra Ducsay of Milford. Together, Keene and Duscay spent the past five years collecting toys for students at different schools. However, this past May, after Ducsay had signed a contract for an acting gig, she was found beaten to death at the steps of her home. Milford police say the case is still open and no arrests have been made.
Keene is not about to give up Zandra's Kid's. She hopes to take it even further over the years, no matter how long it takes. She says they had a larger vision. They wanted to bring professional dancers into the school to teach the children how to take care of their bodies and feet. She wants to teach ballet, hip hop, african and jazz and call it "Zandra's Dance School at McKinley."
Yet for now Keene needs cookies. She needs coats. She needs donations. She says its wonderful people go to Africa and adopt and send money, but she says "my babies right here in Bridgeport need help too!"
If you can volunteer or donate in any way, contact Joann Keene at 203-333-7194 or 203-576-8037.
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