In a generous act of community support, W.B. Manufacturing donated new art furniture to the Oneida High School Art Department following the summer flood that affected the building. The donation included six art tables and 24 stools, replacing furniture that was damaged and helping to restore the learning environment for students.

This opportunity came to fruition after Roxann Gallagher—an Oneida alumna, parent, and representative from Meteor Education—reached out to connect the district with W.B. Manufacturing after recognizing a need. Her outreach helped open the door to a partnership that has had a meaningful impact on our students and staff. Kendra Eslinger and Justin Hagan also played important roles in coordinating the donation and ensuring it was completed successfully.

Reflecting on the impact of the new art furniture, OHS art student Sophia shared her enthusiasm: “I really like the tables. I like that they’re newer and don’t have any scratch marks yet. I like that they’re taller, and I most importantly love that you can move them around and arrange them. The ones before had no wheels, so it was a little harder...these are a quick five minutes, and we’re done.”

Echoing Sophia’s excitement, fellow OHS art student Ash highlighted the positive changes brought by the new furniture: “I absolutely love these tables. They’re so nice, and they’re the perfect height...I’m super tall, and if I need to, I can sit on my knees, and I can stand up, and they’re not too tall or too short, and that's really awesome.”

OHS art teacher Mrs. McLain, who teaches a sculpture class, emphasized the practical benefits of the new tall tables: “Everything is perfect! I love the height. When you’re working on a sculpture, you want it to be eye level. When you’re looking down, you really can't see as well as you should. It's been really great!”

OHS Art Director and teacher Mrs. Cigeroglu reflected on the significance of the donation and the sense of community it inspired. “Knowing that someone in the community noticed there was a need, cared to reach out, made the investment, and took the time to make sure that need was taken care of, made us feel important, seen, and supported. Knowing the community member was also an Oneida alumnus made the gesture seem even more meaningful.

When the students returned to OHS and walked into the art room, they were so excited to see a room full of beautiful new tables and stools. It really set the tone for a positive and hopeful return to OHS. We look forward to creating many wonderful art pieces on, and memories around these tables.”

The Oneida City School District is sincerely grateful to W.B. Manufacturing and Roxann Gallagher for their generosity and commitment to supporting education. Their donation is a powerful example of how community partnerships can make a lasting difference for students.