SEATTLE — One Seattle organization is getting a big boost from Red Nose Day this year.
The Seattle chapter of City Year has been a major help in ten South Seattle schools amid the pandemic. Over the last year, City Year has worked to adapt to hybrid models with local schools like South Shore K-8.
City Year is a national service nonprofit that works alongside the public education system to help students and ensure equitable access to learning opportunities.
The non-profit gets a big boost from the Red Nose Day fundraiser, which has raised over $240 million to help fight childhood poverty in the United States and around the world.
The massive fundraiser is celebrating its seventh year with a special NBC edition of ‘The Wall’ and has become a star-studded annual effort that’s impacted more than 15 million children.
Seattle’s City Year chapter has been going strong for 24 years. Executive Director Lee Lambert says without Red Nose Day funding they wouldn’t be able to do the work they do in Seattle schools.
"The funding helps provide a friendly welcoming face for students who are experiencing poverty, and students who attend systemically underserved schools," Lambert said.
City Year members serve in schools all day, every day, preparing students with the social, emotional and academic skills to succeed in school and in life.
"It's someone who can help them with their math, it's someone who can make sure they have breakfast when they get to school, it's someone who can be a play buddy when they have recess," Lambert said.
Principal Justin Hendrickson says City Year is their most valuable partner and can’t imagine the school without their support. In fact, they have plans to increase the City Year team efforts in the future.
"We're actually going to increase our City Year team to make it even bigger because they've made such a great impact this year, so we just can't say enough great things about the partnership that we have with them and just the need to keep this going," Hendrickson said.
In a year when the pandemic has made going to school much more complicated, City Year members stepped up and made a difficult time easier on teachers and students.
"There's no way I could have done the teaching that I did and the quality of teaching that I did this year without them, it just wouldn't have been possible," said Seattle third grade teacher Kristina Nazaripour.
The non-profit also helps to facilitate small group reading for third and fourth graders, which means every single student gets individualized reading attention at their grade level.
"These dollars really make a difference in students' lives every day," Lambert said.
To donate, or learn more about Red Nose Day, head to the campaign's website.