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[shesallthat]

wow!!!

this was on our local newspaper's website.

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Laura and John Arnold, parents of three, donated $10 million to reopen Head Start programs closed by the government shutdown.

This donation makes it possible for “more than 7,000 at-risk children” across the region to return to their Head Start programs.

"We’re thankful for the donors and we’re working with the national Head Start association as well as the Mississippi Head Start Association to make sure things go smoothly and the children get the quality services they need," Bines said.

“For nearly fifty years, Head Start has been the window of opportunity got more than 27 million of our nation’s poorest children as they embark on their journey to achieve the American Dream,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

“The Arnolds … have selflessly stepped up for Head Start children to ensure their path toward kindergarten readiness is not interrupted by the inability of government to get the nation’s fiscal house in order,” said Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association, in a Head Start press release.

According to a release, “If after the government shutdown, the government provides Head Start programs funding sufficient to fund their operations for a fifty-two week period, Head Start programs will repay the funds made available by the National Head Start Association at no interest through the generosity of Laura and John Arnold.”

A head start spokeswoman told NBC that many of the programs will be able to reopen their doors on Tuesday, but said the “generous gift” would not support Head Start programs that are still at risk of closing if the shutdown persists through October.