Hello Friends,

First I would like to introduce myself. My name is Lacey Dodd and I am an educator at Hoover High School in San Diego, California. I have the pleasure of working with seniors in the Social Justice Academy (SJA) and teach English and Social Justice alongside incredible colleagues. Our  SJA Vision is to prepare, educate, and ultimately empower our students to be a unified catalyst for ongoing positive change for self, family, community, and environment though critical thinking, civic action, and shared leadership. The young people in our community are truly incredible, full of resilience, courage, and strength.  

In March of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools in San Diego Unified closed for in person learning. As of September, we are still unable to return to in-person schooling with no plan to return in the near future. 

While I support the school closure on behalf of the collective in order to protect our health and well-being, this sudden and lengthy hiatus leaves our kids and their families in a very vulnerable position.

Many in our community already experience the strain of chronic stress due to economic instability and the current situation only adds to their destabilization. On Friday morning after learning of the immediate closure, many of my students shared how overwhelmed and scared they felt, many unsure of how their families would financially get through. It was heartbreaking. Many of my colleagues had similar conversations with their students and left us grappling with how to support our beloved kids from a distance in this new reality.

In the last few days I have been discerning how to best respond to this situation and support the kids I so deeply love and am committed to. 

I have decided the best way forward is to raise as much money as possible to support them and their families. With the money given, we can fill in the gaps for our kids and their families in terms of food, rent, bills, medicine, and/or any other needs that arise. We have a very strong and connected community of adults and kids which thankfully allows us to remain in communication during this time and learn about the specific and immediate needs of our kids. We will direct all donations to our non-profit, LoveUYU, founded by Jeremy Robinson.  I will be directly managing and distributing resources to the kids in our community in the coming weeks. 

I am asking you to contribute whatever you can for our kids and their families in our SJA community. 

Any amount will help - $5, $10, $20, $200, $1000.  Please know that your generosity in a time when we all are impacted and disoriented is so deeply appreciated and matters. And regardless if you give monetarily or not,  I ask that you send your love to our kids and hold them tightly in your heart and/or keep them in your prayers. 

Thank you.


"Center down.
And when your body has 
become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives are in one another's hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach our all the tendrils
of compassion that move,
invisibly,
where we cannot touch.
Promise this world your love--
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live."

- excerpted from Lynn Ungar 3/11/20