A Special Note from Our Executive Director
These areÌývery uncertain times for each of us, but what weÌýat Â鶹ÊÓƵÌýknow for sure is that our belief in service and the care we have for our community willÌý³ó±ð±ô±èÌýsee us through.ÌýToday we were meant to be hosting our signature Ripples of Hope event and honoringÌýPaula Gold-Williams.ÌýAs you can imagine, the decision to cancelÌýthis year’sÌýRipples of HopeÌýdinnerÌýwas a difficult one to make, asÌýthe eventÌýraises a substantial amount of funds to support the work of our AmeriCorps members. However, the safety and well-being ofÌýthe Â鶹ÊÓƵÌýSan AntonioÌýcommunity – our AmeriCorps members, students, champions, staff members, and the broader communities we serve – is always our top priority.ÌýÌýÌý
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I’ve been reflecting a lot on the name of our event, “RipplesÌýof Hope,â€Ìýderived from Robert F.ÌýKennedy’s 1966 speech given toÌýtheÌýNational Union of South African StudentsÌýduring the height of apartheid.ÌýHis words have had an everlasting impact on society because theÌýidea that many distinct acts of courage create ripples that turn into currents of justice is a powerful concept, for it tells us that our idealistic actionsÌýareÌýnot isolated, and that a cumulative effect of the work of many committed people and institutions can have a dramatic impact.ÌýAs the entire world is being asked to stay apart in order to move forward together, the idea that our individual choices and the ripples they create seems more profound than ever before.Ìý
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We have shifted our service to support our students virtually, while also continuing to deliver learning and development opportunities for our AmeriCorps members to help prepare them for their career and ongoing educational goals.Ìý
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While we are disappointed to not have the chance to celebrate Paula with each of you in person, we have been uplifted to see ripples and continued generosity nonetheless. In true San Antonio fashion,Ìýafter deciding to cancel the event,Ìýevery event sponsor converted theirÌýsponsorshipÌýgiftÌýto a direct donation.Ìý
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Our AmeriCorpsÌýare struggling with the idea of potentially not seeing their students again, yet theyÌýstillÌýshow up toÌývirtuallyÌýserve every dayÌýwith the same energy,Ìýpassion,ÌýandÌýkindness that they bring to the schoolhouse.Ìý
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When theÌýCOVIDÌýpandemic subsides, its impact onÌýtheÌýhealth, economy, and, especially, the education of our nation’s young people will mean that Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s work to create more equitable learning environments and develop the skills and mindsets of all children and young adults will be more important than ever.Ìý
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Our greatest need right now is additional financial resources to ensure we have the funds to support the work of our AmeriCorps members during this unsettling period. Please join usÌýinÌýhonoring Paula, celebrating our AmeriCorps members andÌýrecognizing theÌýripples throughoutÌýour communityÌýby donating here.
Thank you for your support. We are so grateful.Ìý
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Kelly Hughes BurtonÌý
Executive DirectorÌý
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