Whether it’s addressing the needs of children, families, or communities, America’s Charities represents a number of organizations whose mission is to serve those in need. Member organizations run the gamut of charitable causes, including Make-A-Wish, Ronald McDonald House, Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation, and Foster Care to Success. For more information, visit their website here.
Note: During the district’s Combined Charities Campaign, we’ll take a look at each of the Federations to which employees can donate. These profiles will be posted in no particular order, and will help employees learn about the work organizations are involved with so they can best choose which ones to donate to. For a full list of Federations and the associated organizations, click here.
This federation is made up of local non-profit organizations that deal with societal ills such as homelessness, hunger, unwanted pets, and support causes such as education, public health, and rehabilitation. Just a few of the charities under this umbrella include the AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.; Guide Dogs of Texas; and the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin. Its website is here.
Note: During the district’s Combined Charities Campaign, we’ll take a look at each of the Federations to which employees can donate. These profiles will be posted in no particular order, and will help employees learn about the work organizations are involved with so they can best choose which ones to donate to. For a full list of Federations and the associated organizations, click here.
As a fourth-grade teacher at Anderson Elementary School, Linda Burks already has a busy schedule. But when the Combined Charities Campaign rolls around, she’s always more than happy to serve as her campus’ coordinator.
“Serving as the Combined Charities coordinator at Anderson Elementary is an honor, not a chore,” she said. “I feel I have a mission to accomplish for my school and the district.”
And Burks has been successful in accomplishing that mission. Last year, Anderson Elementary was one of the top contributors to the Combined Charities Campaign. Burks, along with Principal Roslyn Vaughn, said they try to talk to each campus employee individually to encourage them to donate. In the process, Burks said, she’s learned some of the personal and touching stories behind why her coworkers choose to contribute.
“We have a school culture where faculty and community are joined together to help one another,” she said. “Anderson Elementary is a school that reaches out beyond the school yard, and giving for various causes is contagious at Anderson.”
Her top tips for other coordinators who are motivating their departments to share their good fortunes: be sincere, be knowledgeable of the foundations and charities, and be the first to give.
“When you have a cause you truly believe in, it doesn’t take much to convince you to give to Combined Charities,” Burks said.
For a complete list of federations and charities, as well as the donation form, click here.
Principal shows how to work with Media Relations during crisis communications
Principals: Do you know what to do when you need to communicate about a campus emergency?
This’ months “WOW! Moment” video features Principal Ross McAlpine discussing how he handled a recent incident at Barbara Jordan High School when he needed support from the district’s Media Relations team. McAlpine helps outline steps campuses should take to ensure the community and parents are properly notified. These types of communications help build and keep a high level of trust between the school and its stakeholders, which is essential to ensuring students can concentrate on their studies while on campus.
[su_vimeo url=”https://vimeo.com/141564946″]
Long known by its powerful slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” the United Negro College Fund was created in 1944 to support minority students – particularly African Americans – in the pursuit of higher education. It encourages students though a number of methods, including scholarship programs, support for historically black colleges and universities, and advocacy programs. Its website is here.
Note: During the district’s Combined Charities Campaign, we’ll take a look at each of the Federations to which employees can donate. These profiles will be posted in no particular order, and will help employees learn about the work organizations are involved with so they can best choose which ones to donate to. For a full list of Federations and the associated organizations, click here.
Other Combined Charities Campaign stories
Diana Perez
As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Diana Perez knows the power of organizations such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation. That’s why Perez is such a vocal and successful cheerleader during the district’s 2016 Combined Charities Campaign; she knows firsthand how much the organizations which receive donations can help.
“Winston Churchill once said, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,’” said Perez, a writer for the Secondary Curriculum & Development department. “Our Combined Charities Campaign makes those words come to life. As a coordinator, I get to encourage others to give and see many lives changed and that’s exciting.”
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is one of hundreds of charities Team HISD can donate to during the campaign. For a complete list, as well as the donation form, click here.
Perez’s enthusiasm for fund-raising has proven to be contagious. As the Combined Charities Campaign coordinator for the Secondary Curriculum department, her team has been one of the top contributors for the past five years. And she plans to keep her squad near the top of the leaderboard this year, too.
“This year we acquired several new members, so I will have to think of creative ways to encourage them so that we can continue to be a top contributor,” Perez said. “Combined Charities is one vehicle for me to share my blessings and to show that I care. Giving is really rewarding to me.”
HISD is one of the largest employers in the city of Houston, and Team HISD is known for its generosity.
This is proven each year during the Combined Charities Campaign. Over the past two years, HISD employees have donated a total of $640,000 to organizations across the Houston area. This year’s campaign theme is “Game On!” and includes a weekly leaderboard at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center which will feature the departments and campuses with the top donation totals.
The campaign kicks off today and runs through Oct. 30. During that time, employees can click here to learn more about the organizations Combined Charities supports, as well as make their donations.
“Our employees understand that our influence in the community extends far beyond the classroom walls,” said Strategic Partnership’s Tanya Mackey. “Team HISD has consistently shown they have generous spirits by supporting deserving organizations through the Combined Charities Campaign. I’m looking forward to an even more successful year this year.”
There also will be daily stories on myHISD that feature the top Combined Charities Campaign coordinators as well as the charity federations which benefit from Team HISD’s generosity.
North Houston Early College High School received its first-ever 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award on Sept. 29 from U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The school was among just 335 schools nationwide and 25 public schools in Texas to receive the honor.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools, where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Get the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Bellaire High School senior Antony Yun, who aced two college readiness evaluations — the SAT and the ACT — this year. He was one of only four HISD students who earned perfect scores on the SAT during the 2014–2015 school year. Read his story and learn the other three students’ names here.
- Retired teacher Tanya Thompson (formerly of The Rice School), who was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for the 2014–2015 school year by the Texas Association for Bilingual Education. Get that full story here.
Special Note: Do you know a teacher or principal who shows exceptional passion and commitment on campus? If so, then speak up! The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards are designed to recognize just those types of individuals, and nominations are currently being accepted for this year’s awards. Get the full scoop here.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
A recently retired teacher from The Rice School has been selected as the 2015 Texas Association for Bilingual Education Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Tonya Thompson, who retired in May after more than three decades with HISD, was selected because of her teaching philosophy, which uses personalized learning to cater to the learning style of each student. read more…
