Brian Roebke photo
Ashley Rankin of the Redefining Futures Foundation cuts the ribbon for the book vending machine that was installed at Wrightstown Elementary School. See more photos on page 2.
By Brian Roebke
Editor
Two classes at Wrightstown Elementary School got a chance to see firsthand exactly what that big machine in the hallway near the office was all about last week.
Students from Hannah Kempfert’s and Leah Welhouse’s classrooms were on hand for the ribbon cutting for the book vending machine that was installed about a month ago.
Funds for the machine came from the Redefining Futures Foundation, run by Logan and Ashley Rankin, who have students enrolled in the school.
“This book vending machine is going to be something that every student gets to use,” Principal Sarah Nelson told students at the ribbon cutting.
Nelson reminded students they’ve been focusing on 12 spots (including happy, patient, learning) during the school year and they’re introducing a new spot that’s called the golden spot.
“This golden spot is following the golden rule,” she said.
The golden rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them.
Students who demonstrate the golden rule will get a golden coin from a teacher and can then go to the vending machine to pick out a book that’s appropriate for their age and they can keep that book.
“You have to earn it by following the golden rule,” Nelson said. “This isn’t just everybody in the school gets it.”
Kempfert announced the fourth grade winner, Landon Ederer, to pick a book, then Welhouse announced Leo Fischer as the first grade winner.
After they pushed their selection, the machine said out loud, “one book coming right up.”
The Redefining Futures Foundation was built to help three main areas: education, housing, and health.
For education, they want to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to learn, so they help kids and schools with opportunities to learn.
For housing, it’s important to their business, so they want affordable housing to be available.
For health, they feel strongly that America is going to need help with its health.
Their website, redefining futuresfoundation.org, gives a lot of information about those three areas.
“For example, right now we’re paying off kids’ school lunches in different schools,” Logan said. “That’s something that helps with kids and education and health all at the same time.”
They have children at the school, which is why they chose Wrightstown Elementary School for their donation.
“We really love the school district,” Ashley said. “We moved here right before our son started school and we’ve just really appreciated the teachers, Mrs. Nelson’s been amazing to work with, we just think it’s a really great district.”
This is the first time they’ve donated a “book machine,” but if this goes well, they would love to add them in more schools.
“Most of our foundation isn’t just giving things,” Logan said. “It’s usually earned.”
While they donated the machine, they requested students needed to do something to earn a coin to get a free book.
“That’s the same with everything we do in our foundation,” Logan said. “We’re more of a foundation that is not going to give people fish, we’re going to teach them how to fish.”
The Rankins said there is an area on their website at redefining futuresfoundation.org where people can request support for their school or organization.