At its board meeting this last Tuesday, January 9^th, 2018, the directors of The Tiger Pride Alumni Association (TPAA) unanimously approved Tiger Pride Cares (TPC), a program helping teachers by proving them with funds to help needy students.

As teachers daily see their students and immediately assess their needs, (and often use their personal money to provide help,) Tiger Pride Cares program will assist every RCCU#1 teacher in providing such things as toiletries, shoes, glasses, clothes/coats or lunch or school supplies or whatever. 

 

 

  A key feature of the program is its versatility: each teacher decides what situation to improve. 

 And of course he or she will now not be limited by what the teacher can afford.

The Richland County district system has three schools: an elementary, middle, and high school, the three totaling a population of around 2,000 students. 

The directors approved the plan for this Winter 2018 semester of $2000.00 with that sum split reflecting the different enrollment levels: $800 RCES, $500 RCMS, $700 RCHS.

 

 

  For this semester, the total expense of the TPC program is paid for by a special gift from our Tiger Pride Alumni Association’s Corporate Sponsor, Bob Lemke.

 The directors will welcome corporate sponsorships to support future semesters, beginning with this next school year, Fall 2018 and Winter 2019.  Contact Richard or Lisa.

 Further, TPAA Secretary Amy Rusk offered to research writing a grant through Carrie Winters for the TPC program.

 

 

The TPC program, being new, the directors expect it will need to be supervised and, most likely, adjusted.  To that end they established a committee of Amy Rusk, Mandy Houchin, Lauren McClain (volunteer), and Lisa Hemrich.  

  The TPC committee is writing guidelines for the operations of the program, such as telling the teachers the TPC budget director for their school, the required, but simple accounting prodigals, and first-semester communications with the TPAA directors.

   Assistant Superintendent Chris Simpson assures the directors that, from his side, the program can be operational within days.  The key step is transferring the money for the program from our account to that of the district.

 

Last summer, Bob Lemke encouraged founder Richard Williams to develop a program for helping needy students.  Richard contacted TPAA president Lisa Hemrich who contacted Assistant Superintendent Chris Simpson.  President Hemrich developed a simple plan.

Last fall, TPAA Secretary Amy Rusk surveyed all the school district employees asking what their students needed.  Forty-one responded with comments -- clearly showing they have students with many needs, both life-and-classroom ones.  The ‘list’ included helping students who come to school dirty, hungry, needing new glasses and/or shoes and without school supplies. 

 

The directors and the teachers are excited about the TPC program.

 The directors agreed last Tuesday night, “We all know $2K is small compared to the size of the real need, but it is a start.” 

 Mr. Williams said, “that we have begun to help current students makes this a ‘capital, red letter day’ for me.” 

Teachers are pleased and thankful for TPC.  Send cheers to the TPAA directors.  To donate, contact Sonja Wease, Treasurer, or send a check to her:  

Please Mail Checks to

Sonja Wease, Treasurer, TPAA

1100 E Laurel St

Olney, IL. 62450

Please make your check out to Tiger Pride Alumni Association

Remember: the Tiger Pride Alumni Association, Ltd., is a charitable, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization.