Photos by Pamela Lyn Photography
C
ollecting Halloween costumes and
making Valentine’s Day treats are just
a few of the ways that members of the
Homeville Elementary School Parent-Teacher
Association make a difference in the school.
Gina Englert is vice-president of the
association and has been an active member
for more than a decade. She joined the PTA
because she wanted to be more involved in the
lives of her children and also help the teachers
and staff. Englert’s term as vice-president will
end this year when her youngest child leaves
Homeville Elementary, but she will stay
involved in the PTA at the middle school and
high school levels.
“With everyone working nowadays, there’s
always a need for parent involvement,” Englert
says. “There’s a lot of need in our community
and parents help in every way they possibly
can.”
For the last seven years, members of the
Homeville PTA have been collecting new
or gently used Halloween costumes and
distributing them to students who don’t have
them. The costume drive began because
Englert was heartbroken when she saw
students in the elementary school’s parade
whose families couldn’t afford outfits. It’s
important to make sure every student can
participate in the school’s Halloween parade so
they don’t feel excluded, she says.
“They get a nice costume of someone
they may admire,” Englert says. “They’re so
appreciative and proud. It’s a wonderful feeling
to help them.”
This year, the PTA collected about 250
costumes and distributed several dozen. That
means the PTA has replenished its stockpile,
which was almost entirely depleted last year.
This year Denise Kelly, the mayor’s wife,
promoted the costume drive and the PTA
received a wide variety of new, gently used and
handmade outfits. It always needs costumes for
larger children however.
For girls, a princess outfit is often the most
popular while boys prefer superheroes. One
boy was very excited to dress up as Iron Man.
After the parade, the children can take the
costumes home for trick-or-treat time.
“The kids could pick whatever they wanted,”
Englert says. “They were really excited and
appreciative.”
Last winter, Englert made between 800 and
1,000 chocolate suckers for Valentine’s Day
candygrams. She melted the chocolate, poured
it into molds, inserted sticks and then chilled.
Her husband and children helped wrap and
Homeville Elementary PTA collects Halloween costumes for students who don’t have them. It’s just one
of the many ways the PTA supports the children during these formative years.
sort the treats while Englert wrote a special
note for each one.
“For two weeks it looked like the Willy
Wonka Chocolate Factory at my house,” she
laughs. “Nobody could go in the kitchen or
dining room.”
The candygrams raised money for the PTA
and Englert says it will continue in the future.
However, since making the candygrams by
hand was so labor-intensive, the PTA will use
Hershey bars in the future.
The PTA also holds a fundraiser at the Eden
“
Knowing that
people in our
community don’t
have the necessary
basics was
heartbreaking.
”
Park Roller Rink in McKeesport every month.
The proceeds from the monthly skate party
and the candygrams both go into the PTA’s
fund for needy families. The fund began about
six years ago when a local family lost their
apartment in a fire. The family was using a grill
to heat their home and a spark set the curtains
on fire. The PTA collected furniture, clothes
and money to help the family start over.
“Knowing that people in our community
don’t have the necessary basics was
heartbreaking,” Englert says.
The PTA created a fund to assist families
during other crises, as well as provide
backpacks and school supplies. Englert says
the fund also provides gift cards to nearly 15
financially challenged families at Thanksgiving,
Christmas and Easter each year.
The PTA also collects shoes, coats, mittens
and scarves in case students don’t have warm
clothing in the winter. The PTA has a stockpile
of more than 100 pairs of shoes and dozens of
coats in different sizes.
Englert feels that the PTA is more active
and robust than other associations because
the parents and teachers are so involved. The
Homeville PTA has more than 100 members
and many of them are very active. The
association is also very inclusive and makes
everyone feel like his or her contributions are
appreciated.
“Everybody truly cares,” Englert notes.
“There’s no cattiness or drama. Everyone works
nowadays so time is scarce. If you volunteer an
hour we appreciate it.”
Last year there were a lot of families in need,
but she says the economy has improved so
there’s been less pressure this year.
“Hopefully, some day we don’t even have to
do this,” she says.
Englert hopes the Homeville PTA will
remain robust after she leaves. There are lots
of other dedicated volunteers along with the
passionate staff at the school, she says.
“What we have is successful and works so
well because of the relationship we have with
our principal and teachers. We want to help
them in any way possible because they want
our kids to be successful in all they do. That’s
what PTA is about. I couldn’t be more proud
of our community and the people in it.” n
West Mifflin | Winter 2016 | icmags.com 13