132nd NSDAR Continental Congress Contributions

We here at the Settlement School are extremely humbled and appreciative of the outpouring of generosity shown to us by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) this year at the 132nd Continental Congress! 

 

Hindman, one of five NSDAR-approved schools in the United States, was founded in 1902 by two Kentucky Daughters, May Stone and Katherine Pettit, who were striving to improve education for the underserved in the remote mountains of eastern Kentucky.  The school’s official relationship with NSDAR began in 1921 when the membership voted to approve it as one of their DAR schools and, since that time, Hindman has been fortunate to receive support from individual members, local chapters, state societies, and numerous national committees. 

 

Contributions received at this year’s Congress totaled more than $50,000 from the Friends of DAR School Fund, the Junior Membership Committee, and from private donations and purchases from our sales table.  The funds from the committees detailed below, along with nearly $5,000 from our pop-up Orchard Shop, will be used to support a variety of programs, projects, and critical campus needs.

Friends of DAR Schools Committee

During the Education Luncheon on Friday, June 30, National Chair Dawn Lemongello presented a check for $36,500 to support two important projects:

• $25,000 to support scholarships for students in our dyslexia intervention program. More than 90% of families receive financial assistance for their children to participate in our school-based and after-school tutoring programs. These funds will provide up to:
  • • 60 students the opportunity to participate in our After-School Tutoring Program;
    • 25 students to receive a full year of tutoring in our Reading Labs; or
    • 16 students to attend our 5-week residential Summer Tutoring Program.

• $11,500 to support the development of a kitchen classroom. As we continue to rebuild our campus following last summer’s devastating floods, we are reimagining several spaces on campus to meet the changing needs of our students and community. One of these spaces will be a newly developed kitchen classroom in the Mike Mullins Cultural Heritage Center to allow for expanded cooking classes with a focus on healthy eating and locally grown foods.

Junior Membership Committee

National Chair Sarah Grace Brooks presented a check for $11,500 to support two campus improvement projects during the Junior Membership Committee Luncheon on Saturday, July 1. These projects include:

• $6,500 to support campus sidewalk and walkway refurbishments.  Several walkways have experienced rapid deterioration as a result of flooding erosion and are now posing potential hazards for students and guests who utilize these pathways on the way to access residential buildings along the hillside.
• $5,000 to support bathroom renovations in campus housing.  The Stucky Building is the primary lodging facility for students and guests to our campus and has multiple bathroom facilities which are in need of updating to ensure a quality and accessible guest experience. 

Thank you to the Daughters who give so generously to these committees’ fundraising efforts and make these opportunities possible! Be sure to follow our blog,  social media channels, and monthly e-newsletter for the latest updates on these projects.