As we continue our Back-to-School Community Partner Thank You Series, Lansing USD469 is excited to recognize the Employee Morale Committee (EMC) for the Contracting Office at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Leavenworth for supporting our students and staff through a school supply drive for the 2026-2027 school year.

The partnership has an especially meaningful Lansing connection. Ariana Englehart, a 2004 Lansing High School graduate who has also served as a substitute teacher in Lansing USD469 for the past two school years, reached out on behalf of the committee with a desire to give back to students in her former school district.

Throughout the month of July, employees collected school supplies with the goal of helping meet needs across Lansing USD469. Before beginning the drive, Englehart contacted the district to ask which items would have the greatest impact for students and staff, allowing the committee to tailor its collection around actual needs within our schools.

That extra step made the donation particularly meaningful. Rather than simply collecting supplies, the committee wanted to ensure its efforts would directly benefit Lansing students and classrooms as they prepared for a new school year.

We are incredibly grateful to Ariana and the members of the VA Contracting Office Employee Morale Committee for choosing to support our Lansing Lions. Thank you to Ariana and everyone who contributed to the supply drive and helped make a difference for Lansing USD469 students and staff. We are fortunate to have community partners who continue to show up for our Lansing Lions!