a legacy.
rooting for every little one.
We donate hands-on Classroom Readiness Kits to Rhode Island's Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, because little ones don't all start from the same place. In honor of Maria "Rara" Raspallo, who called every student her little one, and meant it. First kits arrive Fall 2026.
THE READINESS KIT
Small. Tangible. Impactful.
Every classroom kit is a donated collection of hands-on learning tools, curated with their teacher, the heart of the classroom. For a little one, it means walking into a room with materials that meet them right where they are. And every kit carries something to keep: a pair of "Rara's Classroom Friends," plush companions for a hard day.
MEET MARIA
She called every student her little one. She meant it.
Maria Raspallo spent her life showing up for people: as an educator, a mother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and a warm presence in her Rhode Island community. Lovingly known as "Rara" by her nieces, nephews, and godchildren.
She gave her time freely and found joy in every moment of it: Saturdays, planning periods, late evenings, tutoring her little ones long after they'd left her class. When she noticed one of them struggling to see the board and quietly learned their mother couldn't afford glasses, she offered to buy them herself. That was not an exception. That was just Maria. The people who worked beside her put it simply: she always thought of others first.
"One short, unpolished quote from someone who loved her sits here."
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RaRa's Little Ones brings that spirit forward, into classrooms one at a time to carry her legacy.
LAUNCHING AUGUST 13TH
60 for Her 60th
August 13th is Maria's 60th birthday, and the day we launch RaRa's Little Ones. In her honor, we're asking for 60 gifts this August, one for every year. Every gift, any size, roots for a little one.
A CHEER
RaRa!
Root With Us
It's the sound of cheering someone on, and that's exactly what we do, for every educator and every little one. Your gift becomes the materials that fill a classroom and the keepsakes kids carry home.