Reporter: SUMMERTIME AT
WHITNEY ELEMENTARY MEANS
SUMMER SCHOOL FOR SOME
STUDENTS.
GO IN THIS DOOR.
THIS DOOR IS ALWAYS
UNLOCKED.
Reporter: IT IS A
CHANCE FOR KIDS STRUGGLING
ACADEMICALLY TO CATCH UP,
PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE
STILL LEARNING ENGLISH, AND
A CHANCE FOR FUN DAYS, LIKE
FIELD TRIPS.
THESE ARE FIELD TRIP
BADGES WE'RE GOING TO WEAR
TODAY.
Reporter: BUT AS THE
KIDS LOAD ON TO THE BUS, A
REMINDER OF HOW DESPERATE
THIS COMMUNITY IS.
A MOTHER AND HER THREE
CHILDREN, DIRTY, HUNGRY, NOT
EVEN WEARING SHOES, SHOW UP
AT THE SCHOOL.
PRINCIPAL SHERRY GONE AND
HIS STAFF SPRING INTO
ACTION.
FIND SHIRLEY.
IT IS A FAMILY WHO HAS
BEEN EVICTED FROM THE HOTEL
ACROSS THE STREET.
Reporter: TWO OF THE
KIDS WERE WHITNEY'S
STUDENTS.
ONE OF THE KIDS SAID TO
THEIR MOM, LET'S GO SEE --
LET'S GO TO SCHOOL AND
THEY'LL HELP US.
Reporter: AND THEY
DID.
THE FAMILY GOT CLOTHES,
SHOES, AND FOOD.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS
SWEATSHIRT FOR YOURSELF.
Reporter: AND FOR A
MOMENT, SOME RELIEF.
YOU GUYS CAN TAKE A
SHOWER, OKAY.
Reporter: THIS ISN'T
THE FIRST FAMILY SHERRY GONE
HAS HELPED AND IT WON'T BE
THE LAST.
IT STARTED TWO YEARS AGO,
WHEN SHE NOTICED TO BOYS IN
THE LUNCH ROOM PUTTING
KETCHUP PACKETS IN THEIR
POCKETS.
AND I SAID, WHY ARE THEY
DOING THAT?
AND SHE SAID, THEY ALL DO
THAT.
THEY PUT THEM IN THEIR
POCKETS TO GO HOME AND MAKE
KETCHUP SOUP.
AND I SAID, HOW MANY?
AND SHE SAID MOST OF THEM.
I SAID, THIS CAN'T HAPPEN ON
MY TURF.
Reporter: MRS. GONE
BECAME SENDING STUDENTS HOME
WITH FOOD.
AS THE ECONOMY WENT DOWN,
THE NEED WENT UP.
THEY HAVE NOTHING.
Reporter: AND NOW
WHITNEY ELEMENTARY HELPS THE
KIDS WITH CLOTHES, SHOES,
AND EVEN PAYING BILLS, SO
FAMILIES ON THE VERGE OF
HOMELESSNESS DON'T END UP ON
THE STREETS.
AND THE KIDS, THEY STAY IN
SCHOOL.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS
VERY COMMON FOR US.
Reporter: JOSE AND
MARTINEZ HAVE BEEN THERE.
WE WERE AT THE ROCK
BOTTOM.
OUR CHILDREN, OF COURSE, WE
TRY NOT TO STRESS THEM OUT
OR GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF
PANIC AND TELL THEM WE'RE
LIKE MOST AMERICANS LOSING
THEIR HOME.
WE CAME TO MRS. GONE AND
TOLD THEM, WE MIGHT NOT BE
HERE NEXT YEAR.
Reporter: BUT THEY'RE
STILL HERE BECAUSE MRS. GONE
HELPED THE FAMILY TO GET
BACK ON THEIR FEET.
JOSE EARNED HIS G.E.D.
THROUGH THE JOB CONNECT
PROGRAM AT WHITNEY, AND NOW
HE IS WORKING AGAIN.
THEY PAID FOR THE SCHOOL
AND THEY PAID FOR THE TEST.
Reporter: THE MARTINEZ
FAMILY HAS FOUR CHILDREN.
THREE HAVE ATTENDED WHITNEY
SO FAR.
IT MEANS THAT MOST
TEACHERS LOVE US AND THEY
TRY TO PREPARE US FOR THE
FUTURE.
AND YOU GET A LOT OF
THINGS.
Reporter: IT HAS BEEN A
WORLD-WIND YEAR FOR THE
SCHOOL.
LOTS OF MEDIA ATTENTION, AND
LOTS OF DONATIONS MEAN LOTS
OF MUCH-NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS,
LIKE A NEW COMPUTER LAB AND
A BRAND NEW LIBRARY.
THE DONATIONS CONTINUE TO
POUR IN FROM AROUND THE
WORLD, INCLUDING THESE NIFTY
ELECTRONIC GADGETS, THE
KINDLE FIRE.
THEY GET IT FOR FREE AT
WHITNEY SCHOOL, HUNDREDS OF
THEM.
WHAT A PHENOMENAL MOMENT
FOR A CHILD, WHEN THE
TEACHER SAYS OPEN YOUR BOOK,
THEY'RE TURNING ON A
KINDLE.
Reporter: THE STUDENTS
SEEM TO WANT TO ALL GIVE
BACK.
DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR
FUTURE, ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT
TO BE WHERE YOU GROW UP?
I WANT TO BE A
PRINCIPAL.
Reporter: LIKE
PRINCIPAL GONE AND OTHERS?
YES.
Reporter: WHY IS THAT?
BECAUSE THEY SHOW THAT
THEY LOVE US AND I WANT TO
DO IT FOR OTHER KIDS.
Reporter: MRS. GONE
SAYS THAT, RIGHT THERE, IS
ALL ABOUT.
FOR SOME FAMILIES, THE HELP
WHITNEY PROVIDES GIVES THEM
A BOOST FOR THE FUTURE.
YOU GET ANOTHER HOUSE, IF
IT IS POSSIBLE FOR MY FAMILY
TO KEEP THEM SAFE.
Reporter: FOR OTHERS,
IT IS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER IN
A MOMENT OF CRISIS.
IT IS A BLESSING.
I REALLY THANK GOD FOR
SENDING WHITNEY THIS WAY.
IT'S AWESOME.
I OFFERED TO PUT THEM IN
AN APARTMENT FOR THE REST OF
THE SUMMER.
AND SHE SAID COULD YOU JUST
SEND ME HOME TO TEXAS TO BE
WITH MY FAMILY?
SO, UM...SORRY.
Reporter: THAT'S OKAY.
SO WE WENT TO THE
GREYHOUND AND WE BOUGHT THEM
TICKETS AND WE GOT THEM
OUT.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO OUT
TONIGHT AT 8:20.
THE KIDS ARE HAPPY, AS
YOU SEE.
Reporter: I WAS GOING
TO SAY, I SEE THE SMILES ON
THEIR FACE.
IT HAS GOT TO BE IMPORTANT
TO YOU.
IT IS LIKE A SENSE OF
RELIEF TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE
TO STRUGGLE ANYMORE, YOU
KNOW?
I GUESS I JUST THANK GOD FOR
WHITNEY.
AND I THANK GOD FOR LOOKING
OVER US.
Reporter: DAVID BRODY,
CBN NEWS, IN LAS VEGAS,
NEVADA.
Pat: THANKS, DAVID.
FOLKS, THIS IS THE RICHEST
NATION ON THE FACE OF THE
EARTH.
WE HAVE A BOUNTY THAT WE
THROW AWAY BECAUSE -- LOOK
AT YOUR GARBAGE CANS
SOMETIMES AT WHAT YOU JUST
THROW AWAY.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
HUNGRY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T
HAVE A PLACE TO STAY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
HURTING BECAUSE THEY'VE LOST
THEIR JOBS.
WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO
PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO HAVE THE
COMPASSION OF JESUS.
HE CARES ABOUT PEOPLE.
HE LOVES PEOPLE.
AND WE NEED TO LOVE PEOPLE.
IN THIS GREAT LAND THAT WE
LIVE IN, WE COULD DO IT.
BUT WE DON'T DO IT BY
WASTEFUL, WEIGHTFUL PROGRAMS
THAT LEAVE US MIRED IN DEBT
SO THAT THE REST OF US DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO HELP.
WE NEED TO PUT MONEY INTO
THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
PRODUCTIVE, AND THEY, IN
TURN, CAN HELP OTHERS.
AND WE WILL HELP OTHERS.
WE WILL MAKE THIS THING
WORK.
I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL TO THAT
PRINCIPAL AND THE WORK SHE
IS DOING IN LAS VEGAS,
NEVADA.
