Echoes Foundation

St. James teachers welcome the founding fifth-grade class to the refurbished building on the first day of school.

The founding class at The St. James School.

A banner on the school grounds announces that the new middle school is now in session.

St. James School shows its appreciation for ECHOES’ generosity with this tribute on the rear of the van.

ECHOES presents a check to the St. James School in June. From left: Caroline O'Halloran and Anne Cunningham, St. James' Director David Kasievich and ECHOES founders Nereida Gordon and Mel Bonder.

The St. James School, an independent middle school for underserved youth in Philadelphia, is ECHOES' newest partner project. The school welcomed its first class of fifth-graders on September 6, 2011. Nereida Gordon, ECHOES Chair of the Board, and Caroline O'Halloran, Board of Directors member, attended the opening ceremonies to welcome the first class of sixteen students.  This summer, ECHOES presented a $12,000 check to the school to purchase a van to transport students for school activities. The school planned a field trip the first week of school allowing the van to be put to good use right away.   Future trips include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Orchestra.  To find out more about the St. James School, visit their website at www.stjamesphila.org. 

ECHOES' next Call to Care event is set for April 13, 2012 and will benefit the St. James School in Philadelphia as well as the Trinity Children's Centre in Kabowa, Uganda.   The theme for the auction and dinner fundraiser is "Reach, Teach, Believe!"  The planning for this event is underway and details will be forthcoming.