Less than a month ago, we celebrated the Class of 2021 during commencement ceremonies at DMPS. Our students go out into the world and make a difference and sometimes, they return to make a difference in the lives of the students who come after them.

Lincoln High School graduate Vanessa Shirley’s mother and brother both serve in Des Moines Public Schools. So, for her, it was a natural step to connect with the district.

“I am excited,” said Vanessa Shirley in a video posted on LinkedIn. “The last few months I have been working on getting a partnership (between Amazon and DMPS).”

Shirley is an Operational Manager at the Amazon facility in Bondurant and a member of the Black Employee Network (BEN). The group pulled up to the DMPS Kurtz building last week with a truckload of Amazon boxes containing more than $30,000 of food for DMPS students.

The 80 boxes containing about 3,328 pounds of food will be distributed to summer school students through community school coordinators, summer school leads and the Jumpstart program.

Eleanor Shirley, Vanessa’s mom, is the Welcome Center enrollment supervisor, and Vanessa’s brother works in the DMPS Metro Kids program.

“It always makes a mama’s heart feel good to see her children doing well,” Eleanor said. “It’s especially pleasing to see her wanting to do good for her community. Just a nice reminder that my daughter is who I raised her to be.”

Eleanor connected her daughter with DMPS Community Partnership Coordinator Vanessa Howell when she asked about the possibility of arranging a donation early this spring.

“We are so thankful for all of the community partners who help us support students and families,” Howell said. “It’s especially touching when a former student is involved. People like Vanessa Shirley are true heroes in the community.”

Community leaders interested in helping students can read more about becoming a DMPS Community Schools partner on the district’s web site.

“So many team members came together to make this project happen; it was an experience I’ll always remember,” Shirley said.

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