Teacher's Dream Comes True: Every Wish List Item Fulfilled

Teacher’s Dream Comes True: Every Wish List Item Fulfilled (Thanks to Weber Chevrolet)

Imagine being in the midst of preparing for a new school year, facing the familiar chaos of organizing classrooms and gathering supplies, only to receive THIS call. This is Mrs. Hartley, a special education teacher at Bismarck R5. JOY FM had invited teachers to post their school wish lists on their Facebook page, encouraging community members to step in and pray or purchase items to support them.

But what Mrs. Hartley didn’t know was that something more was in store for her. In the midst of JOY FM’s morning show, she was connected to Skip Weber from Weber Chevrolet, who saw her wish list and felt a tug at his heart. Skip’s appreciation for teachers led him to not only recognize Mrs. Hartley’s dedication but also to fulfill her entire wish list! All the classroom supplies she needed were already on their way, courtesy of our generous friends at Weber Chevrolet!

Sandi Brown:
Really cool things been going on and on our JOY FM Facebook page. Teachers were invited to post on there where they’re going to be heading back to school and if they have any school supplies that they might still need. It was just to create a sense of community for others of us to then go on and say, I’m going to be praying for you, and here, I’d love to buy this item off of your list. It’s happening. Hundreds and hundreds of teachers have posted, hundreds of JOY FM listeners are praying. Today, this is the part that no one’s really known about until today, mornings and afternoons. On teachers’ way to school and then on their way home from school, we are going to be reaching out and touching base with a few random teachers selected to say, hey, to say, we’re praying for you, and maybe have a surprise or two up our sleeves. Let’s do a call right now to a JOY FM teacher who posted on our page.

Mrs. Hartley:
Hello?

Sandi Brown:
Hi, is this Mrs. Hartley?

Mrs. Hartley:
Yes.

Sandi Brown:
Hi, Mrs. Hartley. This is Sandi Brown with JOY FM. Good morning.

Mrs. Hartley:
Hi.

Sandi Brown:
I just wanted to let you know that we appreciate you posting on the JOY FM Facebook page about you being a teacher. You’re a special education teacher. Where do you teach at?

Mrs. Hartley:
At Bismarck R5.

Sandi Brown:
How long have you been a teacher?

Mrs. Hartley:
This is my 12th year.

Sandi Brown:
Why did you choose special education for your path?

Mrs. Hartley:
Well, I just feel like it really matters. Education really matters, but it’s something special whenever you can get some of the lower kids to really understand something.

Sandi Brown:
I imagine it’s both pretty challenging and as you just said, pretty rewarding. Has school started for you yet, or no?

Mrs. Hartley:
No, we go back to school next Tuesday.

Sandi Brown:
Where are you now in the prep stage of getting all ready to go back to school?

Mrs. Hartley:
I have a giant mess on my tables that I have to clean up before open house night.

Sandi Brown:
You’ve got a busy day ahead.

Mrs. Hartley:
Yeah.

Sandi Brown:
Now you went to our Facebook page. We invited the JOY FM listeners to go to that page and pray for everyone who posted, but also we invited you to post some maybe needs that you may have. Why did you go to the Facebook page and what did you post on there?

Mrs. Hartley:
I just went just to post my list. Some things I needed were some books, some classroom supplies, tissues, things like that.

Sandi Brown:
Yeah. Just to get you all set, how many students are you going to have in your classroom this year?

Mrs. Hartley:
My class sizes, any hour could be five to 12. Special education, so it’s smaller.

Sandi Brown:
Right. Well, Mrs. Hartley, we’ve got a friend on the line who saw your posting on our Facebook page and wanted to step in and cover everything on there. From Weber Chevrolet, Skip Weber is on the phone. Skip, good morning.

Skip Weber:
Good morning.

Sandi Brown:
I know you’ve got a history and a passion for teachers, Skip. Where does your desire to just step in and lend a hand to teachers, especially come from?

Skip Weber:
Well, there’s been a lot of influential teachers in my life and my kids’ lives. It’s something that when you really observe, you can see how a teacher can make or break a difference in someone’s life, and a bunch of pivotal individuals that really do a lot of good with a lot of less reward than they deserve.

Sandi Brown:
Yeah. Mrs. Hartley’s on the phone here, Skip you’re on the phone. Anything you want to tell her about what may have happened already?

Skip Weber:
Yes. I just wanted to let her know that we have taken her wishlist and we’ve thrown it into an Amazon cart and it should be on their way to her. Not in one shipment because there’s a lot of varied items, so it should get there in the course of a few packages over a few days.

Mrs. Hartley:
Thank you so much.

Skip Weber:
Yeah. You’ve got a wonderful heart for your mission and we’re just glad that we could help try to fulfill it.

Mrs. Hartley:
I’m so appreciative. That’s great.

Sandi Brown:
Well, Mrs. Hartley, blessings to you. I hope this is just a tangible reminder that you are appreciated. You’re seen for what you do. You’re making a difference. Skip, thank you. Mrs. Hartley, blessings to you for the new year. If you could invite the JOY FM listeners to pray for you or your class in one specific way, how can we pray for you?

Mrs. Hartley:
Just pray for us to stay the course and have a great year.

Sandi Brown:
Yep. Well, we will do that. Skip, I know the entire St. Louis community has been praying for you and your family, the recent fire of your home and things. You guys doing okay?

Skip Weber:
We’re doing really well. Thank you.

Sandi Brown:
Well, Skip, Mrs. Hartley, thank you guys so much.

Mrs. Hartley:
Thank you so much.