President's Message
Dear Friends of SEF,
February is a month of celebration, Happy Chinese New Year and Black History Month! For me, the new year brings a new opportunity for reflection. We are officially post-holiday and together embarking on a third year of this whirlwind of uncertainty. I find myself reflecting now more than ever about those things that I find most meaningful in my life. I will never forget how excited and honored I was when I would receive a call from SEF leadership asking if I would consider chairing a committee or an invitation to sit on the board. It was such an amazing feeling to be recognized for the leadership skills, but even more so to know that I could volunteer for an organization that was passionate and making an impact on our students plus could give me countless opportunities to grow as a volunteer and to learn how to effectively face adversity and challenges and release generosity to our SGUSD community.
As most of you know, SEF is a charitable nonprofit organization here in the community. We are dedicated to raising awareness and funds for approximately 4,700 students in all 8 of our public schools and since its inception in 1986, SEF has donated over $1,000,000 for program funding to make a difference in the lives of students. Over $500,000 of that has been raised in the last 9 years alone…while the Foundation’s goal is to meet the educational needs of the students, it does not duplicate the work of education-related programming and although we work closely with our district partners, it is important to note we remain strictly independent.
This year alone during a time of continued global economic and financial vulnerability through fundraising, donations, and grants the foundation has provided more than $67,000 worth of funding and resources for the following:
1.Teacher Support ($4,200)
2.Visual and Performing Arts ($10,500)
3.Literacy ($48,315)
- Jefferson Middle School: ($36,233)
- McKinley: ($2,500)
- Wilson: ($550)
- All Kinder classes: ($9,032)
4.GHS After School Hours ($4,000)
Moving forward, as we eagerly plan for the future, we are at a pivotal moment in the area of board recruitment…we are searching for individuals interested in taking on leadership roles beginning with our July transition. The reality is we cannot continue to function without support of the community and wide-ranging representation is needed for us to continue to move forward. I know this statement sounds dire but the reality is we cannot continue to function without leadership.
I am happy to speak with you, meet in person or on zoom, to discuss the foundation in further detail and the possibility of you serving our community. Volunteer opportunities are open to parents, family members, grandparents, friends, teachers, anyone who would like to support SEF, the students and the schools. We invite you to volunteer for a day, an event, or as a board member...please contact us to learn more about the volunteer position waiting for you.
With regards to fundraising, in addition to making a donation towards our annual fund campaign at www.seffor8schools.org we need you to help us spread the word about our upcoming restaurant fundraising night happening on Thursday, February 10th @ Tia Gladys from 4-7pm. It is a great way for families to support the foundation and a local restaurant that we all love at the same time.
