Sertoma Club Donates $17,000 to USMs DuBard School

The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi received a gift from the Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg in the amount of $17,000. A check presentation and small gathering was held at the school with representatives of the Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg joining DuBard School staff and students.

“We are honored to receive yet another generous contribution from the Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg,” said Missy Schraeder, interim director of the DuBard School. “These funds will allow us to continue offering much-needed services in our area for individuals with oral and written language disorders. Without support from organizations like Sertoma Club, we could not serve as many individuals as we do.” 

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. Additionally, these donations also support the DuBard School's outclient services and professional development programs. 

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. In total, Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg has given over $264,000 to the DuBard School over many years.

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.