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December 2015 Newsletter
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Happy Holidays
from Family Pathfinders!
During this holiday season we are so grateful for the new partnerships we have developed over the year, the existing partnerships we continue to grow and our dedicated volunteers and donors. We are ending the year with a great footnote and will be hitting the ground running in 2016.
Exciting news - We've been selected to compete for a grant of up to $5k from the
Yelp Foundation! Community votes will determine the winner of the
Yelp Foundation grant. Show your support by voting for Family Pathfinders before
Dec 15, 2015. Vote daily and make sure to confirm in your email when you vote. Winners will be announced the week of
January 4th, 2016.
Want to set aside savings? The
Earn Starter Savings Program rewards you for saving! Earn has launched a free online program that is a great way to kick-start and grow a lifelong habit of savings in just 6 months!
The Family Pathfinders office will be closed December 25th through January 1st, and will reopen on Monday, January 4th. We wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year.
Please join us for our
Annual Christmas Party Saturday, December 19th 2:00-3:330pm. To RSVP and more information, please contact the office at (817)731-1173.
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Giving Locally
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Exciting news - Family Pathfinders of Tarrant County has been selected to compete for a grant of up to $5k from the Yelp Foundation! The Yelp Foundation supports charitable organizations and activities addressing the needs of local communities.
Community votes will determine the winner of the Yelp Foundation grant. Please show your support by voting daily for Family Pathfinders at this link, before Dec 15, 2015, make sure to confirm your email address. Winners will be announced the week of January 4th, 2016.
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| Amazon Smile |
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AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile
the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.
Log into www.smile.amazon.com with your existing account and shop! When prompted, choose
Family Pathfinders
as your preferred non-profit organization and 0.5% of your purchase will automatically be donated!
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Earn Star Savings Program
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EARN is a
national nonprofit that gives working
f
amilies the power to create prosperity for generations. As the nation's leading microsavings provider, EARN gives families the tools to achieve life-changing goals such as saving for college, buying a first home, or starting a small business. EARN's ultimate vision is that millions of well-informed, working American families will achieve financial success through proven strategies, fair public policy, and their own hard work. Earn rewards you up to $55 for setting aside money in
your own savings account in just 6 months.
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Did you know VITA IRS-certified tax
preparers can help you easily save part of your refund? When you are having your taxes prepared at a VITA site, ask your tax preparer about doing a split return - placing some of your refund in your savings account and some of your refund in another account. VITA tax preparers can also help you purchase U.S. Savings Bonds using a part of your refund. It is very simple!
The City of Fort Worth VITA program is one of many Community Action Partners resources. Other programs include Energy Assistance, Weatherization, Capworks, and the Rising Stars Youth Leadership Academy. The Community Action Partners programs strive to empower individuals and families to become and remain self-sufficient.
To find VITA locations near you, visit www.freetaxdfw.com or call 211. The City of Fort Worth operates 8 VITA FREE tax sites in Tarrant County from January 19, 2016 - April 30, 2016. The VITA income limit, beginning January 2016, is $54,000.
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Upcoming Events
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National Thank Your Mentor Day
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Resources
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It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!
The holiday season is coming up, and if your mentee would like support for holiday gifts, here are a few options to help make their season a little more merry.
When We Love
Whenwelove.org is a faith-based organization of men, women and youth serving low-income, poor and homeless families in, and around Tarrant County. Our
Christmas Outreach Program seeks to serve children and families that would not otherwise receive assistance during the holiday season. Families must be referred by Family Pathfinders, reside in Tarrant County, be 14 years old or younger. Deadline to submit referrals is December 9, 2015. Referral to Christmas Wish is not a grantee the family will be adopted.
Mission Arlington Christmas Store
This free
Christmas Store is open for approximately 12 days in mid December every year. The store hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tarrant County residents are able to shop ONLY on December 19. No pre-registration is required but customers must provide ID, proof of residency as well as any documents that lists the parent and child's name. For more information call Mission Arlington at 817-277-6620.
The Goodfellow Fund
The
Goodfellow Fund is the Star-Telegram's holiday charity. They provide clothing and shoes for underprivileged Tarrant County school-age children during the holiday season. Applications are available at more than 40 locations, including the Fort Worth Public Libraries, Community Centers, all of the Arlington Public Libraries, at the Star-Telegram office in downtown Fort Worth or
download the application here.
Qualifying children must be living in and attending school in Tarrant County, and there must be at least one child in the household between the ages of 4 and 15 in grades pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade (depending on the child's date of birth, some 9th graders would be eligible).
Total household income must be less than 125% of the current federal Poverty Income Guideline. Applications will be taken until the limit of 20,000 children is reached.
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List Family Pathfinders as your charity and raise money every time you search the Internet!
It doesn't cost anything!
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