Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 | 4:11 a.m.
Last year kindergarten teacher Nancy Heimark was nervous when she offered coupons for local Goodwill thrift stores to families she thought needed a little extra help.
This year she has given dozens of the coupons with little embarrassment to George E. Harris Elementary School parents, many of whom were laid off after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Some are even asking for them.
"Things have changed since Sept. 11. I passed out 40 coupons and nobody got upset," Heimark said as her 28 students read silently. "Last year ... people would have felt insulted."
Goodwill of Southern Nevada and the Parent Teacher Association have increased efforts this year to assist those in need. They are giving out an unlimited number of "50 percent off" coupons to use at any Goodwill store.
Goodwill provides the coupons and the PTA passes them along to teachers, who give them to needy families.
One thousand coupons were distributed to PTA offices statewide in October. But the demand was so high that the PTA had to request 1,000 more. Goodwill gave only 500 coupons last year.
"Our economy is suffering, and that is a widespread concern," Nevada PTA President Barbara Clark said. "That just means that more nonprofits have to step in and meet the needs of families that are being economically challenged."
Every day Harris Elementary employees see children without necessary clothing or hear about parents cutting back on groceries to pay rent. With the arrival of winter, educators say the partnership with Goodwill is a significant help.
"It's getting cold, and there are still children coming in shorts, without jackets," said Loretta Tucker, Harris Elementary PTA president. "I think (the coupons) will help a lot."
Goodwill and the PTA started working together about a year ago. Officials of the nonprofit, which normally provides training and employment for people with disabilities and other special needs, decided to get more involved in the community.
With 89 percent of its revenue coming from retail sales and salvage goods and 2 percent from public support, it was stable enough financially to do so.
It didn't take administrators long to decide to help education, and the PTA appeared as its best partner.
"We want to be a very strong community partner, and this seems to be a natural fit because everyone recognizes the importance of getting quality education," said Steve Chartrand, president and chief executive officer of Goodwill of Southern Nevada.
It chose the PTA because of its ability to identify the families that most need assistance, he said.
Although the partnership is currently limited to coupon distribution, it won't always be so. Both groups are trying to expand efforts to meet specific needs of different schools.
"It's a growing project," Clark said. "PTA and Goodwill are working on ways to have more impact at the individual schools ... Being able to provide clothing and other needs right at the school site may be a profitable approach."
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