Army Sergeant Wroblewski, whose family recently moved into Glenknoll Elementary School’s attendance area, was recently reading the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) Good News Report and was touched to learn about sixth grader Alex Bartolo’s efforts to help those in need.
In the past, Alex, with the help of his mother, has organized multiple school supply drives to collect items such as backpacks, pencils, binders, and more from a variety of community members and organizations. He then donates those items to benefit those in need in his very own community, PYLUSD McKinney Vento students. McKinney Vento is a program for students who are living in transitional housing situations such as doubled or tripled up with other families for economic reasons, or living in homeless shelters, campgrounds, or cars.
Sgt. Wroblewski was so inspired after reading about Alex’s school supply drives and acts of kindness that he wanted to help out too. He, along with other army troops, matched Alex’s donations, resulting in many more backpacks full of school supplies donated to McKinney Vento and PYLUSD students in need.
Then on Friday, November 8, at Glenknoll’s Community Unity Assembly, Sergeant Wroblewski surprised students. He attended the assembly to share his story and thank Alex personally for being such an inspiration. He even presented Alex with a very special Certificate of Achievement personally signed by the Lieutenant Colonel of Special Forces, John Bleigh. He also received an official army backpack full of school supplies for himself.
PYLUSD is very fortunate to have students such as Alex at Glenknoll, as well as community partners, who offer assistance to less fortunate families in the area.
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing this – it is an inspiration to us all to do the very same, in thinking of and helping those in need. So proud of both Alex and the Sergeant Wroblewski!!