Fulton teacher uses vacation to give back, donates to Vietnam schools

Fulton kindergarten teacher Whitney Eastwood turned a recent family vacation into an opportunity to continue making an impact on children.

While on a trip to Vietnam, Eastwood distributed school supplies donated by her colleagues at Bush Elementary.

"We had school necessities like crayons and pencils and then other items like toys and toothbrushes - just a wide variety of things," Eastwood said. "We went to a home school there, and also a school/orphanage, and there were also a lot of kids hanging out on the streets that we gave stuff to."

Eastwood said she and her mother, William Woods University professor Linda Davis, chose Vietnam as their destination because Eastwood's father - the late Roger Davis, former principal at Fulton High School - had served there during the war.

She said the decision to bring along the school supplies was prompted because as a teacher, "I already have an invested interest in helping children."

"We knew they were a little less fortunate, and just wanted to do something that would benefit the schools," Eastwood said.

As the schools were in session during their visit, she said she got a look into what a Vietnam classroom is like.

"It was pretty similar to ours. The kids were really well-behaved, and it seemed more structured," Eastwood said. "They are grouped by skill level and not age."

She said visiting the students was her favorite part of the trip.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.