Artos NonProfit

Every student deserves to hear these words, but behind every welcoming school environment are staff members who work hard every day to make them true.

Teachers, paraeducators, counselors, office staff, custodians, bus drivers, and administrators all play a role in creating schools where students feel valued, respected, and supported. The relationships they build, the encouragement they offer, and the countless things they do behind the scenes help shape the experiences students carry with them for years to come.

At Artos, we believe school staff deserve to feel just as appreciated as the students they pour into every day. Thank you to the educators and support staff who help make our schools places where every child can belong, grow, and thrive.

If you work at a Yakima Valley school, here is something worth knowing: you can support Artos through your own paycheck.

Through a partnership with United Way, Artos makes it possible for school employees to set up a monthly payroll deduction of $25 or more. It is one of the simplest ways to give consistently - and the impact adds up fast. To get started, contact your school's HR or payroll department. If you have questions, reach out through artosyakima.org.

The school year may be wrapping up, but June is one of the most important months on the Artos calendar.

On June 9, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, volunteers will gather at the Harman Center at Gailleon Park to assemble appreciation treats and write handwritten notes that will be delivered to teachers and school staff across the Yakima Valley.

No sign-up required - just show up. Every pair of hands makes a difference, and every note reminds an educator that their community has not forgotten them. Come be part of it!

Sometimes the impact of school support programs shows up in the simplest ways.

To many adults, they may seem like small things. But to a child walking into school without them, they matter more than people realize.

Notes like this are exactly why Artos continues supporting students and educators throughout the Yakima Valley. Behind every donated supply is a student trying to learn, participate, feel prepared, and keep up alongside their classmates.

This kind of gratitude is a reminder that practical support creates real confidence in the classroom.

Thank you to everyone who helps make these moments possible through donations, partnerships, and community support. The impact reaches further than you may ever fully see.

What does it look like when a school moves through the Artos support levels? Here is exactly what each level provides:

Level 1 - Monthly thank-you treats for an individual teacher or staff member. Currently serving 497 people across 16 schools.

Level 2 - Monthly thank-you treats for the entire school. Currently serving 228 people across 6 schools.

Level 3 - Everything in Level 2, plus a birthday card for each teacher and staff member on their special day. Currently serving 175 people across 3 schools.

Level 4 - Everything in Level 3, plus quarterly classroom supplies and clothing support for the school nurse. Currently serving 135 people across 2 schools.

Every school in the Yakima Valley can move up these levels with the right community support behind it. Find out how at

Artos | Supporting Teachers & School Staff in Yakima Valley Artos recognizes, supports, and encourages teachers and school staff in the Yakima Valley through monthly appreciation, classroom supplies, and personal care.

Level 4 is the deepest level of Artos support currently active in the Yakima Valley - and it goes further than most people realize.

Schools at this level receive monthly thank-you treats for every teacher and staff member, a birthday card on each person's special day, quarterly support for classroom supplies, and support for the school nurse with clothing needs. Two Yakima Valley schools currently receive this level of care, serving 135 educators. That is what it looks like when a community decides the whole school - not just the most visible people in it - deserves to be taken care of.

May is the final full month of the school year, and Artos is marking it the only way we know how - with a "Summer Vacation Ticket" delivered to teachers and school staff across the Yakima Valley.

After nine months of early mornings, hard days, exhausted afternoons, and everything in between, educators deserve a send-off that actually feels like one. This month's thank-you gift is a small, celebratory way of saying: you made it, and you mattered every single day you showed up. It is the last monthly recognition of the school year - which makes it one of the most meaningful ones to be part of. If you want to help fund gifts like this one, visit artosyakima.org.

Meet Amy 🤍

Before she was a founder, Amy was a teacher.
After years in education, Amy retired from teaching with firsthand knowledge of the challenges school staff face every day. The long hours, emotional exhaustion, pressure behind the scenes, and the feeling that so much of what educators do can go unseen.

Instead of walking away from that experience, she turned it into a passion.

Amy helped create Artos with one goal in mind: making educators and school staff feel seen, appreciated, and encouraged. Because she knows how much a little recognition and support can mean to someone giving so much of themselves to others.

Alongside Russ, Artos was built from genuine gratitude for the people who shape students, support families, and hold schools together every single day.

At its core, Artos exists because Amy understands the heart behind education and believes the people carrying that responsibility deserve encouragement too.

Trisha Whitehead, a school counselor at Summitview Elementary, shared what being part of the Artos community has meant to her: "It has been wonderful having the personal encouragement and prayers when I'm having a hard time. The little gifts and notes are a delight."

School counselors, bus drivers, front office staff, classroom aides, and custodians are all part of the Artos community - because the whole school runs on people who deserve to feel appreciated, not just the ones at the front of a classroom. Support professionals matter here too.