The chocolaty smell of homemade champurrado fills the air and chatter is heard from Bonita Vista High (BVH) staff. Staff step inside room 809-A and escape the chilly weather as winter steeps closer day by day. Tuesday couldn’t come any faster for some staff as they await to buy mangonadas, champurrado, conchas and many more items that come rooted from Mexican culture.

The Cafecto & Chisme cafe is open to all BVH staff on Tuesdays during nutrition break and lunch in room 809-A. If any staff is unable to physically come into the room, they are offered the opportunity to have their items delivered during a class period throughout the school day. Room 809-A is a Special-Ed classroom that has planned several fundraisers and hosted several events such Baron Buddies soccer tournament and now, the Cafecito & Chisme cafe for the colder season. The fundraisers are to assist the Special-Ed department and its teachers. For example, moderate-severe Special-Ed teacher Caylin Tamayo uses the funds to support her students.

“We’re fundraising, particularly for our class [809-A]. For example, JT [one of her Special-Ed students] brings his bean bag that’s from home. A lot of kids do want to use it, but because it is JT’s, he gets priority over the item,” Tamayo said. “The bean bags that we do get for the class [through fundraising] will be for all the students to use.”

The Cafecito & Chisme cafe idea was made by the entire Special-Ed department and similar fundraisers are done at several high schools. Tamayo infers that the idea for fundraising through selling food and drinks on campus started because the department was in need of certain supplies such as learning tools, clothing items or beanbags for the program. She adds that money is given to the department but many times does not suffice to supply enough items needed.

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“We fundraise that way, so we can [provide] what students want. Each student has unique needs, and we could even get the items that are expensive. We all have our little clubs where we fundraise and it’s because there are so many unique needs and supplies to meet those needs that we do need every single year.” Tamayo said.

Sophomore English teacher Sean Warlop is recognized by Tamayo as a regular at her cafe. She explains that he is a constant supporter of the fundraisers for the Special-Ed department. Warlop describes both his thoughts on the cafe and what his usual weekly purchase consists of; a mangonada, as they are one of his top items.

“It’s [the cafe] a great opportunity, it’s always nice to have something different throughout the day or throughout the week. As someone who’s been here for a long time it’s very easy to get into that schedule that is just kinda the same everyday and it’s always nice to have something different [such as] the mangonadas,” Warlop said.

Moderate-severe high school teacher, Baron Buddies advisor and Special-Ed department chair, Darci Comer-Davies shares a similar feeling to Warlop. She explains that through food fundraisers, like the Cafecito & Chisme cafe, brings a sense of change from what is normally brought to the school and allows the BVH community to socialize with each other. .

“It brings a different variety to the school and it gets everyone out, socializing and working together as teams. Their clubs are a team making money, working together and doing something positive,” Comer-Davies said.

Fundraising has shown to be successful for the Special-Ed department at BVH, according to Comer-Davis. She comments that there are often many kids brought into her classes from different areas of Chula Vista, who don’t always have the money they may need. As a result, the Special-Ed department looks to fundraising through events to assist the students with payments for lunches, Christmas presents, clothing items and supplies they may need for school.

“If their goal is to raise some money for their classroom, for their students, it’s a great use of the resource and there’s a lot of people on campus who I know would appreciate something different. I haven’t really gone out to the cafeteria to see what they have but it’s not mangonadas. I’m glad to help out because it’s going to a good cause, it’s great and it tastes good,” Warlop said.