In a fundraising letter from Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity, Dr. Jeffrey Leslie, Superintendent of the Petoskey schools was quoted (pictured): "Many students are being raised in substandard, crowded, unsafe environments."
And Habitat is going to help those kids? How? Are they going to notify Child Protective Services? If Dr. Leslie is privy to this troubling information, what is he doing about it? Helping fundraise? This shouldn't be!
He also asserts that his school system is losing "great educators" to more "affordable districts," (which only partially explains why the quality of education in Petoskey is so wanting). Of course, he offers no evidence of this trend. In fact, if the value of local teachers' homes is "skyrocketing," as he claims, isn't that good for the current homeowners? Why would they leave?
And this: Habitat Executive Director Sarah Ulrich, author of the letter, claims " ... home is an unattainable hope for many households." Why? Hard work, self-discipline, simple living, and sound advice from seasoned sources, can make 'home' attainable to any young family, given time. In America, in Emmet, there needs to be no exception to attaining that 'hope.'
Why wouldn't Dr. Leslie champion that point of view?
We're not saying, 'don't donate to Habitat,' they do some good, for sure. But if you do give, maybe call them out on this questionable fund-raising pitch.