Sertoma Club Donates $20,000 to DuBard School at Southern Miss

The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi recently received a gift of $20,000 from the Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg.

A check presentation and small gathering was held at the school on Thursday, Oct. 9 with representatives of the Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg joining DuBard School staff and students.

“We are so grateful for their continued support. Their donation makes a huge impact on our ability to continue to serve the children who need our specialized services,” said DuBard School director Dr. Maureen Martin. “They are so kind to keep us in their thoughts throughout the year as they fundraise, and we're honored to receive this gift.”

DuBard School's enrollment program is available to children at no charge; however, funding from the state only covers a percentage of the costs, the rest of which must be made up from private donations, like this one from Sertoma.

This donation is preceded by many years of support by the club, starting with a scholarship for students studying speech-language pathology. Once that scholarship was stabilized, club members chose to expand their reach and assist the school directly.

Sertoma Club chose to fundraise for the DuBard School because the school's mission of sharing the gift of oral and written language to individuals with communication disorders and reading disabilities, including dyslexia, is in line with Sertoma's international objective to serve individuals with hearing loss and language disorders.

“With the club's dedication and charter to help individuals with speech and hearing issues, there was no question that DuBard School would be the next recipient of our fundraising efforts,” said David Bounds, Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg president. “We've all heard success stories about the children who have gone through the program. Because of the immediate impact and benefits that come from the school, we knew our money would be put to good use.”

About the DuBard School for Language Disorders

The DuBard School for Language Disorders was established in 1962 and is a clinical division of the Southern Miss Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The school serves children with severe language/speech disorders, including the written language disorder of dyslexia, and/or hearing impairments and provides guidance and counseling for parents and families of the children. The school is a practicum site for university students majoring in speech-language pathology, audiology or deaf education. DuBard School for Language Disorders is a United Way agency. Further information is found at www.usm.edu/dubard.