July 22, 2020 Contact: Chesiree Katter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (808) 728-4169

chesiree@monsteraid.com

Monster Aid sends Sound Learning three month supply of masks to continue safe education

Last week, Monster Aid sent a donation of 350 face masks to Sound Learning, a nonprofit organization in Shelton, Washington. Sound Learning offers education to adults pursuing their GED or high school diploma so they can continue to reach their goals. 

Sound Learning has been operating in Shelton for almost 30 years. With 45 students in their care, the arrival of COVID-19 raised the issue of continuing lessons in person safely and effectively.

“We weren’t really prepared for the shutdown... it happened really fast,” said Shannon Klassell, executive director of Sound Learning. “Social distancing in class -- we were able to do that. But it seemed like overnight, everything was shut down,” 

Although the shutdown was sudden, Shannon says her staff acted fast with implementing virtual learning for students.

“Our staff really did magic. They got together, used the available resources, figured out what students could do and couldn’t, and made it accessible,” she said. 

Through a grant from the city, they were able to invest in online learning resources for the students. The ESL teachers worked around the clock to ensure students wouldn’t miss a beat with their lessons by taking on additional hours to master Google Classroom, Zoom sessions and more. 

Shannon couldn’t say enough good things about the hardworking staff at Sound Learning. “There’s only six of us. We like to call ourselves small, but mighty,” she said.

Online learning took off, but Shannon had concerns for the students who were unable to access the internet. They continued to print out take-home packets, but it’s well known that nothing can beat in-person learning. 

When Washington entered Phase 2 of COVID-19 reopening, they could resume small, socially-distanced classes, but needed to uphold constant sanitization practices, and offer personal protection equipment for the students. With the shortages PPE, this proved difficult for organizations across the board with limited resources. 

“It was like, going online in the middle of June was trying to find something that wasn’t a million dollars,” Shannon said. “I started making my own alcohol wipes at home. A former volunteer knew a woman who was finding masks for small businesses, so we got a few there.”

Shannon knew that she couldn’t require students to wear masks if they couldn’t provide for them. While talking about Sound Learning’s situation at a book club meeting, Caroyln Maddux, mother of our co-founder Mike, heard her and reached out to Monster Aid. That’s when we stepped in. We were able to send Sound Learning a three month supply of face masks for the staff and students to continue their learning programs safely. 

“We never stopped serving students. We just couldn’t do that,” Shannon said. 

Through beautiful mutual connections and action, Monster Aid was able to help an organization we care about continue to do good in the community. We can’t wait to see what else Sound Learning has in store and support their continued success.

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Monster Aid is prepared to help with whatever is needed to keep individuals, businesses, and organizations strong amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With constant support, a hardworking team and a strong belief in our values, Monster Aid’s mission is to deliver protection at the lowest possible cost, without sacrificing quality or safety. 

To learn more about the work of Sound Learning, visit their website at https://www.soundlearning.co/