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While the challenges continue, so do the good works done by our neighbors, our teachers, our health care providers, our volunteers and so many others. This is their story. Ledyard National Bank is proud to support the 2022 Hometown Heroes, who were nominated by members of the community and selected by editors of the Concord Monitor. Nominate your Hometown Hero Today. |
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| | Hometown Heroes: Caroline Keane’s quest to make sure all kids are ready for school
By ALEX THILL Monitor staff
Caroline Keane, a former paraprofessional educator at Rundlett Middle School, has always cared about the needs of young children, but about nine years ago she experienced an interaction that would change her life and eventually change the Concord community.
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| One day, as she was walking the halls of Rundlett, Caroline found a little boy in tears next to a flimsy, plastic market bag. When asked why he was crying, the boy said he was upset because he didn’t know how he would carry his things now that his “backpack” was broken. “That made me think, ‘Why is this kid using a plastic bag, why are we not doing better, why are we not providing?’” Caroline said, “It’s a basic human need to have a backpack and school supplies, you know. Especially at that age you just want to fit in, you don’t want to be different.”
It was at this moment that Caroline first had the idea for what would later become the Ready to Learn Fair.
Nancy Keane, a former coworker of Caroline’s who shares a last name with no relation, believes that it is about time Caroline gets some recognition for all that she has done. “She is the type of person who sees a kid in need and tries to find a solution, be that a special ed child she’s working with who might need a lesson redone for them or someone else,” said Nancy. “She’s just a problem solver for the kid and she just loves the kids.”
It is a passion of Caroline’s to help children in need and do so in every way possible.
After Caroline’s hallway interaction, she began the process of fundraising in order to get Rundlett students the supplies that they needed. “It started very small. The first year we were only opening the doors to the middle school because we’d never done it before,” said Caroline. After the word got around, the demand for school supply donations became apparent. “We weren’t sure how it would be received so the first year was just the middle school but then when we saw how big the need was, we expanded to the whole school district,” Caroline said.
Now having just completed its 8th year, Caroline has continued to add things that she feels each child needs.
“It’s evolved now. ... She spends a lot of time fundraising and she’s doing this on her own,” Nancy said. “This is not a school district thing. This is a Caroline thing.”
Caroline spends lots of time communicating with various businesses in order to provide students with as many free services as possible. “Delta Dental has been donating since the very first one and we also have the New England School of Barbering, who’ve been there every single year,” said Caroline. Each year, Caroline ensures that the school district Free and Reduced Lunch representative is present at the fair as well, so that all the participating families can sign their kids up for the Free and Reduced Lunch program.
Caroline’s commitment to the kids of Concord ensures that all students have everything they need to start the school year, regardless of their socioeconomic status. “Each year we try and give something different. Last year we were giving COVID shots to the parents,” Nancy said. “She [Caroline] thought of all the ideas and the kids get it absolutely free. They can go back to school with a brand new backpack, all the school supplies they need, and a new haircut.”
This year, Caroline included winter materials at the fair as well so that the kids were provided with everything that they need for the entire school year. “We used to not think about winter stuff in August, but fortunately she [Caroline] came up with the idea in the winter so we’ve got hats and gloves and coats and socks,” Nancy said.
The Impact that the Ready to Learn Fair has had on the community both warms the heart and highlights the need for more outreach events like Caroline’s fair.
On one of their many runs to Walmart in order to purchase the supplies for the upcoming fair, Nancy and Caroline encountered a familiar face at the checkout counter. The employee was a former student who attended the Ready to Learn Fair when he was a young boy. Nancy said, “It was so wonderful to hear that somebody who’s already graduated from high school used to go to the Ready to Learn Fair every year.”
Although Caroline founded the fair, she wants everyone to know that this whole event would be impossible without a team of helping hands working together for the kids of Concord. “We have volunteers that come and help and then my mom, even in England she knits sweaters for me to raffle off or sell to raise money for the kids,” Caroline said. “The Hometown Hero should be everyone involved. It’s not just me. I couldn’t do it without everyone.”
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