Foundation Newsletter

Links to newsletters in Microsoft Word Format:

Vol. 1, No. 1, Fall 2002
Vol. 2, No. 1, Winter 2003
Vol. 2, No. 2, Summer 2003
Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring 2004
Vol. 3, No. 2, Summer 2004
Vol. 4, No. 1, Winter 2005
Vol. 5, No. 1, Winter 2006
Vol. 5, No. 2, Fall 2006
Vol. 6, No. 1, Spring 2007
Vol. 6, No. 2, Fall 2007

Latest Newsletter

Newsletter, Vol. 6 No. 1, Spring 2007

RODMAN RIDE GETS A SOUL

This year's Rodman Ride for Kids featured a five member Staples SOUL Team: Staples Headquarters employees Adam Bradley, Susan Carpenter, George Hodgeson, Ben Peck and Marc Schultz rode the 100-mile route and raised $4100 of our total $22,000. We look forward to an even larger Staples Team next year; thank you for giving us our SOUL!

The Mazie Mentoring Program also received significant support from Framingham HS: VP for this year's Senior Class, Frank Rothwell, his friend Nick Tambascio, and mentee Heloisa Gulin completed the 25-mile route on our behalf. Our sincere thanks, too, to this year's RIDE sponsors: The Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Fund, First Generation Children's Centers, Mark Buckley and Richard Lesser.

RIDE participants agree it is a wonderfully warm and enjoyable event, and this year's RIDE, on Sat., Sept. 29th, was no exception. The weather was sunny and ideal; hundreds of volunteers cheered the riders at the rest stops and along the route; and good food, drink and camaraderie awaited riders and volunteers at the finish line.

The Foundation will receive a check from the RIDE for approximately $25,300 representing the funds raised plus a matching 15% from the RIDE. This event is now our largest fundraiser, and with more riders and sponsors, has the potential to provide financial support for the larger number of students we now serve, both in high school and as they continue to college. To learn more about how you can participate as a rider or sponsor in next fall's RIDE, please contact the Foundation.

MENTEES: IN THEIR OWN WORDS

At each Award Event, mentors and mentees fill out anonymous surveys to provide qualitative data about our program. In June and November, of the 40 students surveyed, 28 students gave our program an excellent rating and 12 said it was good! Most students reported that the mentoring relationship has increased their self confidence as well as their belief they have more options for the future. Below are student comments, in their own words, in answer to the question: What have you learned from your relationship with your mentor?

• I have learned to speak up for myself better.
• I need to work hard for things and I shouldn't put them off to the last minute.
• I gained more responsibility and learned to work hard to get what I want.
• I value school more.
• That I need to be more responsible, especially if someone is counting on me.
• Because of the relationship I have with my mentor, I've gained more appreciation towards art. In fact, I have just gotten into an internship at the Danforth Museum.
• That in life I have the capacity to make my decisions and be my own person.
• I've given back to the community and have discovered more things I'm interested in.
• I learned that s/he's here to help and if I need him/her, s/he will be here for me.
• I have gained a new friend whom I may talk to about the things that go on with me.
• I learned like always I can do anything. Like I never thought about going to college and now with my mentor I'm excited and more thinking about it.
• The best thing about having a mentor is having someone in my life that genuinely cares about people who are less fortunate. I like having a mentor because s/he can guide me and not judge me.

GOLF TOURNAMENT WASHED, BUT NOT WRUNG OUT

After 8 consecutive years of golfing in bright sunny weather, our ninth annual tournament on June 4, 2007 was a washout. Well, not a complete washout. Because we committed for the dinner, it was held, and 55 would-be golfers attended. Framingham CC was kind enough to give us a second shot at running our tourney on August 13th. Even though it was not a Friday, the luck of #13 prevailed. Because of intermittent thunder and rain, we had an almost 9-hole tournament followed by a cash bar, hot hors d'oeuvres, golfer prizes and our raffle drawing.

Our sincere thanks to all who attended and took the day in stride, telling us that although they were disappointed, they really didn't mind because it was for a worthy cause. And a special thanks to Framingham CC for donating a $2,500 credit against next year's tournament to help make up for the disappointment.

SO, make sure to save the date, MONDAY, JUNE 2nd, 2008 (11AM lunch and 1PM shotgun) for our TENTH Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament.

GOAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: June 5 and November 14, 2007

At our June award event, 7 students received their 1-year award laptop computers, while another 6 earned their 6-month award $50 Barnes and Noble gift cards and framed certificates. Nineteen students also earned either personalized Foundation mugs or passes to decorate their own mugs at Crazy Jayne's. At our November event, 7 students received their laptop computers, while another 17 earned their 6-month goal awards. Special thanks to Barnes & Noble in Shopper's World in Framingham and to Crazy Jayne's on Main Street in Natick for discounting these awards and to Staples for hosting our award events!

To earn their 6-month and one-year awards, students set and achieved these goals: raised course grades; interviewed professionals in various fields to investigate careers; learned how to write resumes, fill out job applications, and practice job interviews with their mentors; learned how to open bank accounts and save money; toured local colleges and followed fitness and healthy weight loss plans. A student whose goal was to improve her grade in biology to the C range actually earned a B. Another student improved a failing grade in English to a C and a D in math to a C. Another student raised his grades in both history and chemistry. Our star student, though was the young woman who raised two failing grades to A's in both math and English! One student prepared an art portfolio that included ten drawings. Another young woman learned about a summer internship at the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham through her mentor, applied, and was accepted. She was so successful over the summer that she was offered one of only three paid positions at the Museum this fall. Finally, one student rode her bike throughout the summer to build up to riding the 25 mile Rodman Ride on Sept. 29, which she also did-alone!!! Her mentor broke her wrist the week before the Ride and could not accompany her, but was there to see her off and to cheer her return.

Congratulations to our mentees for their hard work and perseverance; to their mentors for their thoughtful, patient and motivational support; and to our sponsors who provide the crucial financial support that makes our mentoring program possible.

23 NEW PAIRS IN NOVEMBER!

Our program has grown substantially from the 2 students matched in 1998. This fall, 23 students were matched with mentors. 24 students are on track to graduate in June, and the program currently has 72 active pairs. We plan to match another 20 students in February, increasing our program's enrollment 33% to 40 each year as the first step in our Board's ambitious Long Range Strategic Plan. Our next training dates are Mon./ Weds., Feb. 25 and 27, 6-9pm, and the Match Up is Sat., Mar. 8, 10am-2pm at Staples in Framingham. We encourage you, your friends and co-workers join us. For more information, please contact Sybil: 508.653.8377 schless1@juno.com or visit www.mazie.org. Special thanks to Mathworks for Omni Theater passes for all our new mentoring pairs.

HELP OUR PLANET AND SUPPORT OUR MENTORING PROGRAM!

The second recycling program held this year on Saturday November 10th, our 4th semi-annual event, again produced enough electronic equipment to fill 1-½ 12-wheel rigs. Over 200 people and companies dropped off their computers, printers, fax machines, TVs and other electronics and made over $6,000 in tax deductible contributions to our mentoring program. The amount of obsolete electronic gear remaining in Framingham and the surrounding communities continues to amaze us. Apparently, technological advances are shortening the effective life of existing equipment, so we expect to continue to benefit from this program at our 2 annual events. Many thanks to those who donated and also those who spread the word about our event. Please MARK YOUR CALENDERS for our next event: Sat., April 12th, 9 to 3, at the Framingham High School parking lot.

MENTORING PROGRAM ALUMNI

Your support has enabled us to award scholarships to our graduates who go on to a post-secondary educational program. Scholarships provide $500/year for up to 4 years. To date, we have given at least one $500 installment to 61 mentees. Currently, 51 alumni are in college. 24 additional Mentees will graduate from high school next June. One alumnus graduated from Framingham State College last year, and 6 will graduate in June 2008.

We are very proud of our alumni, who currently attend: Brown U.; Pace U.; UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell; Bentley College; Regis College MassBay and Quinsigamond Community Colleges; NE Inst. of Technology; U. of Hartford; Pine Manor; Rutgers; U. of Rochester; U. of Maryland, Rochester Inst. of Technology; Emerson and Gordon Colleges; Johnson & Wales; U. of Maine Farmington; Framingham, Fitchburg, Salem and Worcester State Colleges; Mansfield Beauty School; Andrews U.; Nichols College; Cushing Academy; Cambridge College--Year Up; St. Thomas U. Florida, and U. of Southern Maine.