Bill’s Word – Generosity

Dear Friend,

Generosity. When I first joined the AEF board in 2008, we made a grand total of 39 Adopt A Classroom presentations for the 2008-2009 school year. This September alone, we made 62 and by the end of October we expect to have made 131. We are well on our way towards our 2014-2015 goal of 170. I am overwhelmed at the generosity of our community who so values our students, teachers and schools.

Teachers spend an average of $513 annually on supplies and materials for their classrooms, so Adopt A Classroom donations are enormously helpful. But Adopt A Classroom does more than just purchase supplies and materials, it makes a profound impact. Here is what one teacher recently shared with us: “Your program is a true blessing to and for the teachers and students of AUSD that I am so honored and overwhelmed by the generosity that my words pale before the true depth of my gratitude. Please never stop what you do if you can at all help it. The joy I experienced and the relief that I currently feel is immeasurable and beyond words. Thank you so very much.”

Each adoption is $500, 100% of which goes to the person who knows best what is needed for his/her students – the teacher. If you or your business would like to support a classroom, please click here to make an adoption. Because we give 100% of each adoption to the teacher, please also consider making a general donation to help support the program.

Shop to Adopt. Our friends in the Park Street Business Association (PSBA) will be hosting a shopping day November 5th for Adopt A Classroom. PSBA has set a goal of raising $2000 to adopt four classrooms. To date, 12 shops are participating by donating a percentage of sales from the day including: Alameda Natural Grocery, Aphrodite’s Closet, Pixies & Peony, Artistic Home Paint and Glass Studio, Bead Inspirations, Daisy’s, Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden, Lost City Antiques, Monkey Bars, Tucker’s, We Are Hair and Cafe Q. So, eat, drink and shop to support Alameda classrooms on November 5th!

The Magic of Music. I am very pleased to announce that AEF hosted two “Young People’s Concerts” by the Oakland East Bay Symphony for Alameda kindergarten – 5th grade students and 6th – 8th grade music students last week. We had over 2500 students attend the two concerts, which are themed “Make Music with Things Around You.” Special thanks to former AEF board member Judy Blank for coming out of “retirement” to coordinate this event. This concert was made possible by An Anonymous Donor of the East Bay Community Foundation.

Middle School Volleyball is in the homestretch. Championships are the week of November 17th. It has been rewarding to see the growth of our student-athletes since AEF began this program five years ago. Many students have never played volleyball until they join our program yet by mid-season, they are serving and “digging” like the pros. More importantly, they are learning important life lessons that will help bridge their success into high school. As one coach shared with us last year “…a young man came to tryouts with his heart set on making the team. At the beginning of the season he struggled academically. He finished the season with perfect attendance, started in every game, and finished with a GPA of 3.0. When asked to reflect on his success on and off the court he said, “some of the things that helped me be successful was me pushing myself to study harder because I wanted to be on the team. Also having support from teammates, coach, teachers, and parents.” I remember meeting with his math teacher and she told me how he asked to stay after school so that he could get extra help on an upcoming test. She told him it would affect him being at practice and his response was, “coach said grades come first.”

Basketball begins right after Thanksgiving. You can find information and schedules here. I would also like to thank the Safeway Foundation for a grant to help support our sports program!

Power Up For Learning is an inexpensive and easy way to help Alameda students get the technology education and experience they need for today’s economy. Alameda Municipal Power customers designate an amount to be added to their power bill. AMP collects these funds and gives them to AEF to be used for technology education across the district. Please help us support more students by signing up today by clicking here. You may also download a form here and mail it to AEF at PO Box 1363, Alameda, CA 94501. Let’s make our students’ futures bright!

Finally, I would like to express my honor at being awarded the Community Service Nonprofit Board Member award at the September 27th Everything Alameda event. I am truly humbled that my work with AEF was honored. I see this award being not so much about me, but about the value of the work of the Alameda Education Foundation and for that, I am truly proud. Fellow AEF board member Kathy Moehring was named the Community Service Volunteer of the Year for her work with AEF and many other vital efforts in our community. Congratulations, Kathy! Thank you to the Alameda Social Service Human Relations Board for reinstalling these awards that honor the value of volunteers in our community.

Sincerely,

Bill Sonneman, President