Other Ways
We Help
At the Woodland Hills Foundation, we pride ourselves on
"Answering the Call" when needed...
When staff and teachers in the Woodland Hills School District identify a direct and immediate need for support, they turn to the Foundation from help! In 2020, when former High School Principal Philip Woods announced the "Chromebook Fund" the response was so overwhelming, he knew he needed our help not only to approach potential large donors and funders but to manage the day-to-day operations of the account including record-keeping, grant support and administrative duties like writing thank-you letters and more!
This effectively opened the door from the District to the Foundation, setting new standards and opening new boundaries in the ways the Foundation can support the District.
Today, when we receive a call for help, we work to match donors with special projects, offer social media support, provide event volunteer support and more...
If you are a teacher or staff member of Woodland Hills School District looking for support for a special project or idea, contact Jennifer Trehar at jennifer.whfoundation@gmail.com.
BACKPACKS OF HOPE
Our school district serves a population of over 45,000 residents, 72% of which are low-income families. In fact, there are currently many students in the District who deal with ongoing food insecurity. To address this, on Fridays, social workers in the schools work to fill bags with food so that over 70 of these students will not go hungry during the weekends. The Foundation purchases Easy Mac, Cup of Soup, microwave dinners, tuna and more—all meals that students could potentially make themselves because many of their parents work on the weekends and are not home to prepare meals. Food is purchased in bulk to keep costs low and ensure that students receive bags which include three Saturday meals and three Sunday meals.
In November 2021, The Rotary Club of Swissvale awarded the Foundation with a $3,000 grant to ensure this project’s success. Further, in January 2022 the Stein Family Charitable Fund reached out to the Foundation to provide an ADDITIONAL donation of $1,000, which will help ensure that backpacks will be provided until the conclusion of the school year. 100% of funds are used for the purchase of food and supplies for weekend lunch bag. Workers provide the Foundation with food lists and orders are placed directly through the Foundation.
HOHN'S HELPING HANDS
Amy Hohn was a teacher in Woodland Hills, a resident, and a parent of a Woodland Hills graduate. Her giving heart led her to source backpacks, school supplies, clothes, and hygiene supplies for students in need in WHSD and often would deliver these items to students’ homes. Amy passed away in January of 2021. In order to carry on her legacy, teachers and staff collected over $3000 to fund the backpack initiative. In 2021, The Foundation raised and awarded and additional $2,765. In addition, the Foundation secured and delivered over 130 backpacks, stuffed with supplies as well as an additional 200 empty backpacks, thanks to a partnership with Ellen Alston of the Churchill-Wilkins Rotary and Volunteers of America.
EITC STEM-ROBOTICS FUNDING
In 2021, the Foundation awarded the WHSD Robotics Program with $8,800 in EITC funding. The Foundation purchased drones, Robot Kits, batteries, memory cards, tutorials and idea books in order to assist in building the District’s STEM/Robotics Programs. This was made possible through generous donations from MSA, The Safety Company and Dollar Bank.
WHHS STUDENT GIFT CAMPAIGN
When High School Principal Shelly Manns turned to social media with a plea for help in early December, 2021, the Foundation was there! Her idea? Provide every student in the High School with a small holiday gift. It was a huge undertaking but parents and staff jumped into action, raising over $2,500 towards their $6,000 goal. The Foundation committed itself to making up the difference and presented Principal Manns with a check in the amount of $3,595 and in January of 2022, every student at Woodland Hills High School received a Wolverine t-shirt.
CLASS OF 2022 SENIOR DINNER DANCE FUNDRAISER
This spring, Senior Class sponsors Melissa Bostard and Paul Beard approached the Foundation for support with the 2022 Senior Dinner Dance. The Foundation created social media posts and E-Newsletters in order to gain support from our donors. Funds raised were used to purchase a gift for every senior as well as prizes like a mini-fridge, backpacks, tvs and other items that students will need as they voyage into the "real world". The Foundation was proud to support the senior class with a check for $1,365.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
In February of 2022, High School Principal Shelly Manns approached the Foundation for support with the online portion of the High School's Black History Month Celebration. The Foundation created a series of Black History Month Spotlights, highlighting black Woodland Hills Alumni. The Foundation also assisted by promoting individual events within the school, creating flyers, sign up pages and more.
Click here to see the entire series on our Woodland Hills Foundation Alumni Network website.
DISTRICT/FOUNDATION E-NEWSLETTER
For over ten years, the Foundation devoted a large portion of its budget towards marketing the Woodland Hills School District. When it became apparent that the expense outweighed the benefit, in 2022 the Foundation took on the responsibility of creating a combined Woodland Hills School District/Woodland Hills Foundation E-Newsletter, which is published monthly and sent to all families in the District as well as to the Foundation’s own database of friends and supporters. To join our mailing list, click here.
THE CHROMEBOOK FUND
In March of 2020, the Foundation worked with the School District and former Principal Woods to raise funds to provide every student in the Woodland Hills School District with access to a Chromebook. When the Foundation took over, Woods had already raised an impressive $20,000 on his own. Then the Foundation began soliciting additional donations (corporate, private and through private foundations); receiving, recording and acknowledging all donations; seeking additional opportunities through Matching Gifts, Grants and more. In doing so, the Foundation and the School District helped ensure that our students are afforded with the same opportunities for success as their peers in other schools. 100% of funds received were used for the purchase of laptops.
To learn more about the Chromebook Fund, click here.