Lyn Gabrielsen started Hearts For Educators, a 501(c)3, in October 2025 as a way to give back to teachers in Title 1 schools in St. Johns County. The nonprofit provides special events for teachers such as soup-and-salad lunches, coffee bars, afternoon refreshments and holiday events. Hearts For Educators seeks to show teachers that they are valued and supported by their community. They work to provide as many events for 12 Title 1 schools in the county as they can.
Gabrielsen taught for 12 years and is a mom of two. Throughout the years, she was very involved in her children’s schools and served as president of PTO at several of their schools. She loved getting to help raise funds and help make schools even better places for staff. She is passionate about helping teachers to feel appreciated in schools across the county. She said that it’s really simple to feed people and help them feel appreciated.
Gabrielsen said the ultimate goal of Hearts For Educators is to create a happier atmosphere for teachers. She explained that while teachers work so hard and do so much for their students, they don’t get paid as much as they deserve. While she said that she can’t fix this problem, she can do “one little thing” to show teachers that they are important and cared for by the community.
Gabrielsen is currently meeting with principals to coordinate events and working on partnering with local restaurants. For National Teacher’s Appreciation week, the nonprofit plans to go to five schools and provide lunch for them.
To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit https://heartsforeducators.org.
