Lasallian Volunteers serve as teachers and teachers’ aides and direct the after school program. They provide other support services as well. Alissa Christopherson teaches K-7 music, coordinates the K-2 library, tutors reading, and staffs the after school program. Karen Schutten teaches art, works in the library, and staffs the after school program. Both are first year volunteers.
De La Salle at Blessed Sacrament Elementary (K-6) is located in the Binghamton area of Memphis, an area with a diverse population of black, white, Hispanic, and Vietnamese populations. Immigrant families come from a wide variety of countries. The school buildings are on the same block as the community house where the volunteers live with the Christian Brothers. Thanks to substantial donations, De La Salle Elementary is operating in new and newly renovated buildings.
Over 90% of the students qualify for the USDA Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Over 50% of the students come from non-English speaking homes. The students begin behind their peers in language and math development. The school is a safe, caring, disciplined, and academically challenging environment for the children, most of whom have experienced a chaotic home and school environment. As a result, the children show dramatic improvements each year, primarily due to the individualized attention they receive.
