What do a hand bell, a finger pointer, a pom-pom pen and a pack of colorful stickers have in common?
In the hands of a teacher, quite a bit.
Recently, Stonefire Grill team members traded restaurant hospitality for a different kind of service, joining the Pasadena Educational Foundation to assemble 160 appreciation bags for Pasadena Unified educators. The volunteer project was part of Stonefire Grill’s GM Summit, with company leaders taking time during the gathering to assemble teacher appreciation bags with PEF.
The idea was simple: give teachers something useful, something fun and something that says their work is noticed.
Each bag included classroom favorites and practical tools, including sticky notes, colorful binder clips, a Sharpie, a playful pom-pom pen, a hand bell, finger pointer, screen-cleaning supplies, disinfecting wipes and an assortment of stickers. Teachers received a Target gift card and a Stonefire Grill gift card, too, giving them something they could use however they choose.
But perhaps the most personal item couldn’t be ordered online.
Stonefire Grill volunteers wrote a personal note for each teacher, adding one more thoughtful touch to every bag.
The 160 bags will make their way to teachers at seven Pasadena Unified schools: Altadena Arts Magnet, Don Benito Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, Madison Elementary, Jackson STEM Dual Language Magnet, Norma Coombs Elementary and Webster Elementary.
With its Restaurant Support Center in Pasadena and a restaurant in Hastings Ranch, Stonefire Grill has deep local roots. The project offered another way to extend the hospitality at the heart of its restaurants into the community.
For PEF, it was an opportunity to recognize the people who spend every school day creating welcoming spaces of their own.
A classroom, after all, is more than desks and supplies. It is a place a teacher builds day after day, setting the tone for whether students feel comfortable asking a question, trying something difficult, making a mistake or discovering something new.
Sometimes that work calls for a Sharpie.
Sometimes it calls for a hand bell.
And sometimes it deserves a simple reminder that someone outside the classroom sees it, values it and is cheering those teachers on.
Thank you to the Stonefire Grill team for putting care into every bag and for helping PUSD educators begin the school year with a little extra appreciation.
Bring Your Team Together for a Day of Service
Looking for a meaningful way to engage your employees and give back to Pasadena Unified students and schools? PEF works with corporate partners to create hands-on volunteer experiences that respond to school and district needs while giving teams an opportunity to serve together.
Interested in planning a corporate volunteer event with PEF? Contact pef@pasedfoundation.org to start the conversation.
