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July's
Charity of the Month:
A Stepping Stone Foundation (SSF) is literally providing a new path to educational success for underserved preschoolers and their families in Phoenix, Arizona, through its quality public pre-school programs. On April 23, 2005, during SSF’s fourth annual black-tie fundraiser “Step into Paradise,”41-year MDRT member and Excalibur Knight Jack E. Bobo, CLU, FLMI, of Phoenix, a long-term supporter and grant sponsor, presented a $5,000 grant check to SSF which was awarded by the MDRT Foundation. SSF was founded in 1990 as a tuition-free preschool educational program that also would cultivate the importance of quality parental involvement. To prepare these children for continued success in school, SSF recognized the need to promote adult literacy amongst this underserved community. Parents are required to attend tuition-free educational programs through SSF which include English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED classes, along with parenting workshops. Parents also are required to volunteer a minimum of two mornings in the preschool classroom per month under teaching staff supervision. “When I began the program in 1999, I myself was reading at a third-grade level. In May 2003, I earned my associate's degree from Phoenix College with a 3.5 GPA, and I’m not stopping,” said Stepping Stone parent Josie Guttierez. Each day in a SSF classroom begins with a hot breakfast. Children then participate in hands-on developmental activities that promote literacy. Before leaving each day at 12:20 p.m., children also are given a nutritious lunch. SSF in collaboration with the Isaac, Alhambra and Murphy school districts offers six preschool classes, which serve approximately 120 children in this community. Read about our grant programs |
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