(Seguin) – Friends, businesses and community members are coming together this week to help support a longtime educator, who recently lost her home due to a fire. Sweet Treats, KWED Radio and teaching friends are teaming up this week to collect gift cards for Sharon Johnson and her family. They effectively lost everything in the fire that occurred earlier this month.
Johnson, who’s now retired, is a well-known teacher, mentor and advocate for children. Johnson was known for making connections with the kids she taught for nearly 30 years in the Seguin ISD, with much of that time at Barnes Middle School. Johnson had her home badly damaged by an early morning fire.
According to the Seguin Fire/EMS Department, the fire was discovered around 6:40 a.m. Sunday, August 13 at the home located in the 300 block of Kenwood Circle. Assistant Fire Chief Garrick Herbert says the fire ripped through the garage portion of the home, and it also destroyed her vehicle, which was parked outside.
Sweet Treats owner Commie Jennings says Johnson started working for her part-time after her retirement from the school district. She says a Drive-Thru, Drop Off benefit event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday at Sweet Treats, located at 1011 E. Court St.
“So basically, what’s going to happen is we’re going to be open our regular hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you want to come inside to drop your gifts off, we’re asking people just to come to the drive through and hand over your gift card. We would like for you to have it in an envelope with who it’s from. We’re going to give everything to Sharon. I don’t know if she’ll be here. Hopefully she’s here and she can receive the gift. If not, then we’ll give all the gifts to Sharon and at the end of the day,” said Jennings.
Anyone who knows Johnson, knows how much she cared for the students she taught. She always had a special bond with students and their families. Jennings says that’s one of the reasons why they are hosting the drive-thru fundraiser on Friday.
“I’ve known Sharon all my life. And the way she is now, is the way she always has been. She’s been giving she’s selfless, she puts others before herself. When she was teaching, she put her students before anything. She stayed late, she worked at home, she loved her job and that is why — I mean, you just know that people love her. When they come in the shop, we just hear — ‘Miss Johnson, Miss Johnson,’ because she knows everyone. We’ve had people come in and tell her ‘you’ve changed my son’s life. He didn’t like school. You changed his life. He’s now successful.’ And just hearing those stories from people that come in — says so much about her,” said Jennings.
Jennings says it’s very easy to make a donation. All you have to do is stop by Sweet Treats on Friday and drop off your gift card donation for Johnson and her family.
“You know, it’s good to give back. If the shoe was on the other foot, Sharon would be doing everything that she could to help whoever (it was). And so, we just want it to be a successful event, with whatever you can bring. We will not turn anything away. Anything will be helpful for her on this journey, and it’s long road ahead for her,” said Jennings.
Donations can also be dropped off at KWED Radio, at 609 E. Court St., prior Friday’s event. The radio station’s lobby is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Again, the drive-thru fundraiser is slated to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday at Sweet Treats on East Court Street. All of the donations will be given directly to Johnson and her family,