Although Mary Jo Capra is an Alabama native, and a current Florida resident, she knows what it means to miss New Orleans. Capra first visited New Orleans in 1975 and has loved the city ever since.
“I’ve been going to Jazz Fest for 35 years, since 1985, and have only missed three weeks of Jazz Fest in all that time.”
After living in Jackson, Mississippi and then Baltimore, Maryland, Capra’s work as an insurance underwriter took her to California and, ultimately, she and her husband chose to retire in Florida.
Mary Jo and her husband Norman began donating to Crescent City Schools in 2014. They became familiar with the organization when their daughter Kathy began teaching at Harriet Tubman Charter School in 2013.
“From listening to Kathy talk about the school leadership and operations at Tubman, I knew that it was such a good environment for teachers and scholars,” Mary Jo said. “There is always a plan, a way to do things, and processes to go through and handle any situation.”
Over the years, Capra has had opportunities to witness Tubman’s positive environment for herself.
“It’s been fun for me, when we visit the area, to see students in a non-academic setting like a basketball or volleyball game with their teachers and other Tubman staff,” Mary Jo added. “All of the staff are so friendly and have such great relationships with their students.”
In 2017, Mary Jo and her husband Norman made the decision to become monthly donors through Pathmakers, Crescent City Schools’s monthly giving program. When asked why they decided to become Pathmakers, she shared several reasons.
“I became a Pathmaker because I wanted to support the children,” Mary Jo said. “I know that the more resources the school has, the more they can do for the children overall. Second, I wanted to show my support for my daughter, for this work that is so important to her. I also think it’s critical for our country that we have excellent public schools. Open enrollment schools like those at Crescent City Schools create opportunities for all children, and that’s the kind of charter system that is needed in public education. And I’m happy to, in some small way, help make that happen.”
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Interested in providing staff and students at Crescent City Schools with additional materials and supplies? Click here to learn more about becoming a monthly donor through our Pathmakers program. Your monthly support will provide students with art materials, laptops for personalized learning, educational field trips, musical instruments, and much more.
