Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)’s Post

Most of you know that I volunteer as the Vice Chair of the Board for the Horizons at The Foote School program in New Haven, CT which is an immersive academic and enrichment program serving over 160 New Haven Public Students (grades K-8 with a newer High School Mentorship Program to reach the 9-12 kiddos as well) each year with year-round programming that is anchored around its robust summer component. We are a largely privately funded program that provides this opportunity free of charge to families and if you are looking for ways to help advance equity in education, see our support page for ways you can help us with our work: https://lnkd.in/eFskdnb7 Today, I had the privilege of not only presenting but seeing the fruits of my organizing a special panel of friends for our “Career Day Chat” for the middle school class. With the help of my friends Elijah Hampton, James Williams, Willie Henriquez, and Jordan Blatche, among the five of us, we presented a multifaceted group of professionals who are business owners, musicians, real estate investors, accountants, serial entrepreneurs, correctional officers, and attorneys for career day. These gentlemen showed up in such a real way and listening to them speak I only became more inspired and grateful to have these guys in my circle. The tough middle school crowd loved them as we shared jokes and laughs and thoughtful and engaging follow-up questions. Such a special moment was shared today, and I’m just moved to have been able to witness it. So much was talked about but some of the messages we shared were: - “You are only as good as the company you keep.” - “Model what you need.” - “Mistakes will happen, but do your best to not make the mistakes that you can’t make a comeback from.” - “Ask for help and seek mentorship.” - “Make a covenant to be the best version of yourself that you can be.” - “There is more than one way to be successful. With that, school may not be the path for you, but all of us need to develop a game plan for success.” - “Shutup and work – not everything you must do you will like.” #TeamDestined4Greatness 🙌🏾

While the barriers to higher education are different from one person to the next, its value remains the same for people of all backgrounds. #montco #CommunityCollegeMonth #DEI #HigherEducation #MontgomeryCountyCommunityCollege #60thAnniversary

What a great example of creating STRATEGIC IMPACT through Business & Community Collaboration! ❤️ It started as a simple "Lunch & Learn" event, hosted by Lin Adi & Credit Union of Texas - Plano, attracting over 70 Business, Community & Civic Leaders from the City of Plano, City of Frisco & #CollinCounty - a suburb of the City of Dallas. As Guest Speaker, I focused on "What is STRATEGIC IMPACT through Business & Community Collaboration & Why It Matters." As part of the program, a very generous Door Prize of a Credit Union of Texas FOOD TRUCK, was won by Kelley Thomas of #PTA. This photo captures that great event, now on a wall in a #CUTX Conference Room! Over several months of meeting with Kelley, brainstorming & looking at data of #PTAs in #CollinCounty, we created a vision & amazing program, leading to a Proposal, "Family Life Skills Fun Fair!" sent to prospect Corporate Partner Sponsors. Creating a PTA in ACTION Program, we focused on "Making Every Child's POTENTIAL a REALITY," a #NationalPTA slogan & goal. Credit Union of Texas was already a Corporate Partner Sponsor & through key deliberations, we tweaked our initial program to a more manageable project, with Credit Union of Texas being our Corporate Partner Sponsor - for which we are so grateful. Our initial concept may be woven into #PTA programming in the school year for Children & Parents, focusing on #FinancialLiteracy, #VisionBoarding & #LifeGoalsPlanning, #HealthWellness & more in STRATEGICALLY IMPACTFUL ways. The primary focus of our event will be "What is PTA & Why Is It Important?" Through a New School-Year Kick-Off Community-wide event next September, a "PTA Family Picnic Day" with fun activities including Face-Painting, Video Game Truck, DJ & Music, Community Booths & other fun activities, we will be bringing families together & showcasing #PTAMembership & the Importance of PTA. For many of us, we know through our own life experience in growing up in America & our parents'/Mom's engagement in our local PTAs, how important & valuable this School-Teacher/Administration-Parents-Children-Family-Home Connection truly is. It is part of the fabric of American Life & central to our local #Communities & #ChildrenEducation. However, in studying the data & demographics of Communities & Families in what I call Today's America, we realized that many parents today did not grow up with PTA as a Partner & Support in the School-Family-Home Connection. Many of Today's Parents may have come to America as Children & their Parents were not yet acclimated to American Life in these ways. That, in turn, has led to the decline of #PTA Memberships throughout America. Kelley Thomas, Lin Adi & I want to CHANGE & IMPROVE those statistics to STRATEGICALLY IMPACT the Lives of Children, Families, Communities, Public Schools & Society. Supporting the #NationalPTA's pillar of #FamilyEngagement, we are excited to create #STRATEGICIMPACT through Business & Community Collaboration. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

I am privileged to serve as a Board Member for Thrive Scholars Chicago, an organization whose bold vision and significant impact on reshaping the futures of high-achieving students instantly captured my interest. The aptitudes of these students are exceptional, and they have the capacity to excel. However, they commonly face unmerited challenges due to limited access and support. Imagine if we could remove some of these barriers and offer a fair pathway. I’ve personally had the privilege of accessing educational opportunities that aided in my professional success, leading me to ponder – what if my circumstances were different? How would my path have changed? Consider your own path and the support /access you’ve had along the way, and examine your own “what- if” reflections. If this mission speaks to you, I'd be thrilled to have your support. There are various ways to participate, including:1) Making a donation, 2) Volunteering your time, or 3) Joining our Campaign Committee. You're welcome to engage in one, two, or all three ways! For my fellow Chicagoans, this is our chance to help our city flourish, creating a supportive space for all of our families. Supporting this initiative means forging significant, collective change - for all of us. Ready to make a difference with me? Check out Thrive Scholars Chicago’s fundraising campaign below, aiming to empower 600 local students to achieve and succeed by expanding their capabilities. https://lnkd.in/gzFPsP-h #ThriveScholars

#Culture is a powerful force that can transform everything it touches. As the saying goes, “culture eats everything else for breakfast.” It’s heartening to hear stories of how whole-grade archery programs can help create wins, build a sense of belonging, and transform middle school culture. These programs can have a profound impact on students who might otherwise feel left out. Let’s celebrate the power of culture to bring people together and create positive change. #archery #StudentBelonging #MiddleSchool https://lnkd.in/eMFhdBBG

Wow! what a year it has been at Chapter One UK! Our online reading volunteers have read weekly with nearly 3,000 children across the UK. We are now registering teams of volunteers for the new school year in September, so do get in touch if you think your company could help. #volunteering #employeevolunteering #socialvalue #socialimpact #esg #csr #corporatepartnerships #responsiblebusiness #literacy #itallstartswithliteracy #employeewellbeing #employeeengagement

100% we need to bring the trades back to prominence, or at least visibility, in our middle and high schools. • Not every one fits in college. • You don't need to rack up $100k+ debt to get educated. • Trades are in DIRE need of skilled people. • You can make more money in trades than most of your basic degrees.

One of the privileges I have each day is reviewing and approving grants to support striving tech students - typically low-income undergrads in computing fields from underrepresented communities. You might think it would be a slow time of the year for Last Mile Education Fund, but we're processing dozens of grants per week. You would be surprised how difficult it can be for many students to access opportunities they have earned such as an internship or research experience because of financial constraints. This week alone we invested in: -A student trying to juggle rent obligations for her college apartment until the lease ends in July, as well as housing at her internship site across the country - plus afford a return trip to move out and place her belongings in storage midway through the summer. -An intern at a major insurance company struggling to pay for rent, food or transportation during an internship that started weeks ago - but doesn't pay the students the relocation stipend until their first paycheck - 30 days after starting. -Funded several students to attend the ColorStack conference in August in San Jose. Networking and recruiting opportunities like these are critical to preparing to launch into the tech workforce, but often inaccessible due to upfront expenses as well as opportunity cost. These are just a few examples of the 'hidden costs' along the journey to a tech degree and career that can trip up financially vulnerable students. For affluent students, these costs are typically covered by their families. For students from poverty, they can be insurmountable. It is incredible how impactful a small investment of just a few thousand dollars can make for these talented students. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gVB_mhpX

Our social media intern, Ali, interviews Dawod Thomas the founder of My Father's Plan in our latest blog post. His organization is dedicated to teaching youth of all ages skills to spark personal growth and ultimately enhance their community. Dawod shares, “[My father] planted seeds when I was 12 and I didn't see the manifestation of those seeds until I was 38.” Check it out to learn more about his journey and how he has inspired Ali.

Back in 2018, I first started to think about how we could get textbooks sitting unused in a class cupboard in London shared with a cash-strapped school in Yorkshire. After five years of hard graft, School Resources Exchange properly got going last year. While it has been challenging to say the least, it's also pretty amazing to be starting 2024 with a live service that is already being used by and helping hundreds of schools. The focus for this year is simple - help more schools. What we're doing is a no-brainer. It's a free service which can benefit every single school in the UK. The impact of sharing surplus items between schools is a genuine game-changer on so many levels. If you know someone connected to a school - a staff member, parent, governor, etc - be sure to tell them about us as it really could help them out enormously. 👇 The short video explains exactly what we're doing and how the service - a nationwide schools' circular sharing community - can benefit every single school in the UK. #schools #schoofunding #schoolresources #schoolbudgets #circulareconomy #communityimpact #secondaryeducation #primaryeducation #teachers #headteachers #slt #schoolbusinessmanagers