NSEA Children's Fund
In 1994, the Nebraska State Education Association established the NSEA Children's Fund. The Children's Fund provides assistance to fulfill modest and immediate needs of public school students as those needs are recognized by NSEA members in the classroom.
The goal of the Children's Fund is to ensure that a personal need is not allowed to interfere with a student's ability to learn. Teachers and education support professionals are on the frontlines of education every day in the classroom - they see the unmet needs of students firsthand. When a child needs new eyeglasses, shoes, a coat, boots or other such basic necessities that their family can't afford, the NSEA Children's Fund is there to help. Assistance is immediate and confidential. Usually a phone call to NSEA is all that's required.
The frigid temperatures, heavy snow and slow economic conditions of the last two winters heavily tapped the Fund. In addition, cuts in other programs to help children in need led to growing requests to the Children's Fund. We are asking NSEA members and the public to rebuild the Fund. The Children's Fund is often the last hope for these children to get help.
Supported solely through donations, every single penny donated to the Fund is spent directly on chil-dren in need. NSEA assumes the administrative costs of operating the Children's Fund. The Fund is a 501(c)(3) corporation, which means that donations to the Fund are tax deductible.
Until this year, the NSEA Children's Fund held only one fundraiser a year - an annual golf tournament. This year's tournament was held at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, and raised approximately $7,000. This is considerably less than in previous years and means we must raise additional funds to be able to meet the needs of children.
We are seeking opportunities that will allow us to raise the funding needed to help children in class-rooms across Nebraska. With the support and assistance of the Lincoln Super Saver Store at 27th & Pine Lake Road, we are launching a Back-to-School Walk-a-Thon called "Step Up For Kids." Set for August 27, 2011, we encourage and welcome your assistance and involvement.
While the NSEA Children's Fund provides assistance for students from all across the state, this past school year, the Fund provided $12,000 to help 94 needy students in the Lincoln area alone. Generally, about one-third of the Fund's resources are spent on students in Lincoln.
For more information, call the NSEA Children's Fund at (402) 475-7611 or 1-800-742-0047.
