By Susan S. Russo
Thank you to Jane S. James, Theresa Foundation Board Member, who recently manned a “Theresa Table” at the Community Yard sale in the Burning Ridge section of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Ms. James’ TARF table featured our cookbooks, Theresa pins, mugs, Tee-shirts, brochures and newsletters. The event helped to spread the word in the community about the work we do at the Foundation for children with disabilities.
Arigato to TAPA volunteer, Blaine Siegel, who made the Theresa Academy the recipient of her Bat Mitzvah project! Blaine and her sister, Carly, are two of TAPA’s most devoted volunteers (when not swimming competitively!). Blaine collected over 50 books from her guests and donated them to TAPA to replenish the books that were lost due to Superstorm Sandy.
Muchas Gracias to our friends at the Fresh Leaf Charitable Foundation for their generous grant of $10,000 which was used towards the sponsorship of TAPA campers as well as our special guest teaching artist, Sidiki Conde, for the 2013 Camp program. The theme of this year’s camp was: “A Storybook Summer”.
Grazi to the MetLife Foundation for their recent grant to The Theresa Academy to support our Saturday respite program. The $3,000 grant will be used to provide tuition assistance to families who need additional financial support in order for their child to participate in the program.
Mille Merci to the 100 Women of Long Island who generously donated $3,700 to the Theresa Academy in July. 100 Women of Long Island is a new organization dedicated to providing funding for charitable organizations on Long Island. The Theresa Academy was nominated by attorney, Annamarie Bondie-Stoddard, who is a staunch advocate for children with disabilities. The July meeting was their inaugural meeting, and we are so grateful to have been selected from the three very worthy charities that were presented that evening.
Ein Besonderes Danke to the Nassau County AHRC Foundation ,Inc. for their recent donation of $2,000 to TAPA. These funds will be used to assist our neediest students who wish to attend our Saturday morning respite program and/or our monthly Sunday workshops. This donation is very timely as we have received twice as many requests this year for financial assistance from our families due to economic hardships.
Giving back to the community has been the tradition of the Theresa Foundation for the past 20 years. This year we are proud to announce that the following organizations have been selected to receive funding for their programs from the Theresa Foundation:
The North Syracuse School District (Syracuse, New York) received a grant for $1,600 towards
the continued development of the Adapted program in Physical Education, which serves over 30 students with differing abilities. The funds will be used to purchase three i-Pad touch computers to be used in classes by students with moderate to severe physical disabilities. The computers will enable the students to more fully participate in Physical Education classes.
Mephibosheth Farms Angelic Riders ( Marshville, North Carolina) is a therapeutic horseback riding facility serving over 37 children with a variety of disabilities. Along with riding skills, the riders learn basic horsemanship, communication, trust and confidence not only to their horse, but with the instructors and volunteers that are there for them each week. The $5,000 grant will be used to provide scholarships to riders and maintain the safety and integrity of their outdoor arena.
Kingston Elementary School (Horry County, South Carolina) is the recipient of a grant for $1,372 which will be used to purchase two laptops for 15 students from ages 5-11. The laptops will be used in the special education classrooms to help the students communicate more easily and also develop and demonstrate their creativity in a variety of subjects including art and music. The students have a wide range of disabilities including ADHD, visual and auditory deficits, autism and other health impairments.
The Theresa Foundation is pleased to award these worthy programs and will be accepting grant applications for 2014 beginning in January. Congratulations to the recipients.