The Crete Public Schools Foundation kicked off the 2023-2024 school year with a staff giving campaign called “All Together Awesome!” on August 9, which was a way to invest in the community and enhance educational opportunities.
“The foundation had not done a staff campaign for years so we felt like it was time,” Marilea Thiem, Executive Director of CPS Foundation, said. “In the 22-23 school year the foundation gave over $17,000 to teacher grants and $70,000 was given in scholarships. We are not able to sustain this level of giving without all of us working together.”
This year a student needs fund was created. The fund assists students with needs to help them be successful in their education with customized assistance, such as athletic shoes or hygiene products. Any Crete public school employee may nominate a student for assistance from the program.
“I do want to point out how “All Together Awesome” my board is,” Thiem said. “I presented the idea of the student needs fund to the board and within a week of them approving the concept we had $4700 from the board alone. The donations that they have given as prizes for the staff campaign are incredible.”
Carmen Castenada, CPS high school secretary, is giving to the SNF because she knows what it is like to not be able to provide for all the extras a kid needs in school.
“When we first moved to the states my husband did not have very many hours of work,” Castenada said. “We had trouble paying rent and my son did not have enough clothes. He began growing and a teacher sent a note saying that children were picking on him and he needed to get new clothes. I felt so bad but we were able to go to the thrift store and take what we needed and also some food because of the school. Contributing to this fund is personal because I know how hard it is and want to help now that I can.”
The staff has pledged $22,424.64 to the foundation. Staff could designate where they wanted their donations to go: $1933.57 was pledged to teacher grants, $1873.45 for scholarships, and $13,737.34 for the newly created student needs fund.
Every staff member who gave $100 or more received an awesome pair of CPS Foundation socks and were entered to win two round trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S.
There was also a building competition amongst the elementary, intermediate, middle, high school and the welcome center. The Welcome Center won with the highest percentage of giving and won the opportunity to wear jeans the month of December. Second place was the middle school and the staff won a popcorn party on a non-student day.
To donate to the Crete Public Schools Foundation go to https://www.creteschools.org/Dontate.
Pictured: Karina Leyva-Sigala sports a pair of Foundation socks she received for donating more than $100 to the staff campaign.