Helping A Co-Worker

Seventh Ward Elementary School custodian had car trouble since the summer, but it never stopped him.
Jerry Plowden started working as a custodian at Seventh Ward Elementary in June.
“One afternoon, Mr. Jerry’s car wouldn’t start when he was leaving, and a teacher brought him home,” said Marlene Primeaux, principal of Seventh Ward Elementary School.
“I’ve been having trouble with the vehicle, and it just quit on me!” said Plowden. “I thought it was the fuel pump.” He had previously changed two heads and the bell housing when the car started giving him trouble in the summer.
Ciji Romero, the teacher who gave him a ride home, wondered if faculty and staff would donate money to help him out. The teacher went to the principal with the idea, and it was approved.
The faculty and staff raised about $500 and put it on an O’Reilly Auto Parts gift card.
“It was a group effort. We collected for about a week,” said Romero.
“We are like a little family,” said Angie Detraz, a pre-k teacher at Seventh Ward Elementary School.
“We ended up raising more than the amount needed to pay for the part,” said Primeaux. Although they raised more than needed for that one part, Plowden later found out that it wasn’t the only major issue with the vehicle. The car is still waiting to be fixed since there was more than met the eye.
“It made me feel warm that somebody cared,” said Plowden. “It was overwhelming but very nice.”
“The thing that I admire the most is that he always finds a way to come to work, even though he doesn’t have a car,” said Primeaux.
“These teachers and this principle, they’re phenomenal,” said Plowden. “They went out of their way to support me.”
If people want to donate to help Plowden, please Venmo or PayPal @CijiRomero. Label the donation mentioning Jerry Plowden.