Foundation 4ward

Hi, everyone! I just want to take a moment to thank YOU for taking time out of your day to read, skim, glance at, or just open this newsletter. I, and many of my amazing colleagues, work diligently to plan and execute Foundation 4ward. I know it may seem like a very small element of the Foundation, but it has been a welcome ray of sunshine for me! So, again, I thank you for your support of Foundation 4ward, and I hope you enjoy 😊

The February Hope thru Soap Block Party was held at Norcross High School, and as usual, it was a huge success! Chef Hank and Lettum Eat Inc served 150 people lunch, and guests were welcome to take food pantry items, Keurig Dr. Pepper drinks, free clothing, Office Depot school supplies, and use the Hope thru Soap’s mobile showers.

The collaboration of the GCPS Foundation, Hope thru Soap, Sugar Hill Church, and the Gwinnett Coalition is the perfect example of how powerful community partnership can be!

See photos of the event below and keep an eye out for information about the next Hope thru Soap event on March 23.

Click HERE or anywhere on the flyer below for tickets and more information!

The GCPS Foundation is embracing our $24 in ’24 giving campaign! Starting this month, we are encouraging employees to donate $24 a month as a part of their payroll deductions. These donations can be designated to any of our 50+ funds! There is a gift designation that supports almost anyone’s goals, initiatives, or mission. This ranges from a specific school or cluster to Hope thru Soap, who provide mobile showers to the community. We encourage our Board members and community to join in this fundraising endeavor and support us in pushing 4ward!

InspiredConsumer is a consumer engagement agency that has brought unique experiences and products to GCPS students. Within a year of our partnership, they have sent our schools specialized activities, food items, and have supported multiple school celebrations/ parties. Their YouthReach platform has supported and sponsored End of the Year parties, Halloween parties, and Fall celebrations for many of our Elementary schools. The most recent donation from InspiredConsumer was 48,384 cans of Bush’s Baked Beans distributed to 23 Title 1 schools and GCPS school food pantries!

InspiredConsumer represents huge corporations, like Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, General Mills, and Unilever. They strike a careful balance with benefiting their big-name clients, while also enriching the schools, families, and communities they touch. We are so grateful for their partnership and generosity with GCPS!

See some photos of their work in GCPS below and check out their website HERE.

March is Women’s History Month! Women make up the majority of public-school teachers and principals and have since the late 1880’s*. Women are the driving force behind so much of our history and continue to drive change. We are especially grateful for the immeasurable impact women have, and have had, in every corner of GCPS.

For this month, we ask you to consider donating to one of the scholarships below. All these scholarships are either in honor of a woman who had a positive impact on GCPS, orexclusively meant to uplift women and girls.

• Barbara Reed Scholarship
• Beauty P. Baldwin Scholarship
• Beth Rihm Global Language Scholarship
• Celeste Norton Wilbanks Memorial Scholarship
• Clara Barton Aspiring Nurse Scholarship
• Courtney Blair Scholarships
• Dr. Linda Williams Educational Scholarship
• Dr. Tarece Johnson Scholarship for the Arts
• Geri Flanary Memorial Scholarship
• Gwinnett County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Scholarship
• Hope McKenzie Visual Arts Scholarship – Grayson High School
• Judy Patterson Legacy Scholarship
• Kerensa Wing Principles of Service Scholarship
• Louise Radloff Scholarship
• Susan Headley Scholarship – Archer High School
• Veronica Crawford Scholarship for Teachers

*https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/clr/public-school-teachers

The GCPS Foundation is dedicated to providing financial resources to uplift education in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Established in 2006, the Foundation is committed to sustaining the world-class standards of Gwinnett County Public Schools. A Board of Trustees that is representative of the Gwinnett community governs the Foundation, fostering the belief that community involvement in public education is essential to promoting educated, healthy, and responsible communities.

Championing www.gcps-foundation.org, does the following:

1. Expands teaching and learning across the district.
2. Improves Mental Health and Vision for our most disadvantaged children.
3. Funds scholarships for first generation technical school and college bound students.
4. Provides classroom grants for teachers and school supplies to families that cannot afford them.
5. Fosters innovation in programs and initiatives.
6. Develops student and staff leaders in our schools through employee recognition and retention.
7. Connects students to food and shelter assistance experiencing home and food insecurity.
8. Offers Employee Perks to our staff.

The Foundation benefits “Where the Need is Greatest” as we work together to provide resources and assistance to improve the educational future of ALL students.