During these trying times, parents have not been able to be inside the building as in previous years – eating lunch with their student, helping in the classroom, tutoring, assisting in the office, beautifying the school, working in concessions, etc., but a few became essential to the operations of the school. Not just for maintaining support to the school through fundraising but also for morale purposes of both staff and school parents. With limitations and barriers present, these individuals managed to meet fundraising goals, coordinate spirit nights, and participate in outreach efforts to help community organizations. They became a critical means of communicating with families and parents about school needs and personal crises. For example, they organized a successful Spirit Night to support a teacher's husband who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Even though they weren’t visibly in the school as in years past, they were there in heart and that’s what was felt throughout the entire school community.

This partnership began years before the unprecedented year of COVID, but these strains did not deter the constant, stable support to the school from this nearby community and business partner. However, support changed in ways they never imagined before last school year. They provided Internet access for students and their involvement developed into more social and emotional support through the “Encouragers” as they fondly paired up with members of the staff, lifting them up through notes, gifts, food, and treats throughout the year. Besides the continuous support to the school’s families during holidays, this partnership grew during COVID, identifying new ways to reach out and to be there for their school community.