Please forward this message to any friends or family members who may be able to help our school:

September 15, 2008

 

Welcome to the Cedar Valley Montessori family.

As you have seen on the news, Cedar Rapids, Iowa was hit with devastating floods in June, as were many towns in the Midwest. In the downtown district, our Cedar Valley Montessori School (CVMS) was filled with 8 feet of floodwater. The water came with minimal warning, so there was little time to react. Volunteers were able to get some of our classroom materials up to the second floor storage area. Sadly, much was lost.

 

Due to the condition of our downtown facility, we may be forced to find a new location. The good news is that we have secured a temporary location to start the school year and have comparable rent to what we paid downtown. Our enrollment, however, is down 28 students, resulting in a loss of tuition income of $115,000 for this school year; most are directly related to the flood. We continue to look for a permanent location that will have room to grow, and green space that will allow us to expand our Montessori curriculum. We will also need to move all of our saved materials, replace our lost equipment, and renovate the future building to DHS school and Montessori standards.

 

Obviously, all of these things cost money. We realize that there are many worthy organizations currently asking you for funds to rebuild and while we are exploring all of the avenues available to us, we also need to ask our Cedar Valley Montessori family for help. If everyone who loves our school gave a little, we will be able to minimize the interruption to our children from the effects of the flood and reestablish our school.

 

Our total fundraising goal is: $405,000, excluding the loss of tuition income. All money raised is held in a separate account, which is being used for flood recovery efforts. This includes:

Please consider a donation to CVMS on behalf of the Montessori child in your life. It will truly make a difference! With your generous support, this wonderful tradition will remain an important part of the Cedar Rapids community for years to come. We have established a method of recognition for all donors, such as plaques and garden pavers. If your employer matches charitable contributions, please include the form with your donation and we will complete it for you.

 

Please feel free to contact Kelley with any questions at 319-210-6800 or kelleyc7525@mchsi.com. Monetary donations can be made on our website through Pay Pal or checks could be made out to CVMS and sent to Cedar Valley Montessori School, PO Box 10082, Cedar Rapids IA 52410-0082. CVMS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization; all donations are tax-deductible (Tax ID #42-0982076). We all deeply thank you for your help and prayers.

 

Sincerely, Kelley Cole

Fundraising Chair and Parent

Cedar Valley Montessori School