Give 8 28 2022
ROCK THE VOTE
The right to vote has been one of the most important and revered rights within the United States Constitution. The ability to exercise this right has sometimes been contentious and hard-fought along gender and racial lines. The issues of election laws, voting rights, voter registration and suppression, and reform, have been at the forefront of discussions, debates, and protests. Many individuals and organizations work year-round to ensure that as many Americans as possible have equal access to the polls.
The year 2020 marked the centennial of the
Nineteenth Amendment and the culmination
of the women’s suffrage movement. The
year 2020 also marks the sesquicentennial
of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) and the
right of black men to the ballot after the Civil War. The important contribution of black suffragists occurred not only within the larger women’s movement,
but within the larger black voting rights movement. Through voting-rights campaigns and legal
suits from the turn of the twentieth century to the mid-1960s, African Americans made their
voices heard as to the importance of the vote. Indeed the fight for black voting rights continues
in the courts today. The theme of the vote should also include the rise of black elected and appointed officials at the local and national levels, campaigns for equal rights legislation, as well
as the role of blacks in traditional and alternative political parties.
$50,000
Sammy’s Story: A Passionate Student on the Path to Success
Sammy joined the Kids Now Mentorship Program in 2015. When she was first paired with her mentor, Sarah, Sammy was quiet and loved to read, but was struggling to pass her high school classes.
Sarah and Sammy met each week over the course of the school year to work through challenges and talk about the future. Sammy hadn’t thought about college before, but Sarah encouraged her to pursue higher education and teaching. Sammy’s passion for reading could open all kinds of doors and give her the opportunity to help others. Sarah is a teacher at a local elementary school and arranged for Sammy to shadow her in the classroom and even work with children in their after-school program.
Beyond helping with homework, Sarah helped Sammy research colleges and even navigate the application process. Today Sammy is a freshman at Live Oak College and plans to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development. She credits her success to being part of the Kids Now Mentorship program, insisting that, “I’m in college today because of Sarah’s support! She gave me the confidence to know that I can achieve my goals in spite of the obstacles I’ve faced.”
Sarah shares her enthusiasm, but refuses to take credit: “Sammy is an incredible young woman and continues to inspire me through her determination and hard work. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to help guide her on her path to success.”
Learn more about our Mentorship Program here.
What Your Gift Will Accomplish
With your support, more young people like Sammy will have the opportunity to thrive. As the saying goes: many hands make the work light. Together we can buoy the next generation and build a better tomorrow.
[Matching Grant] Thanks to a generous matching grant from McKinley Community Grocery Store, your contribution will go twice as far:
- Your gift of $25 purchases two books for our student mentees.
- Your gift of $50 supports one student's mentorship for an entire semester.
- Your gift of $100 sponsors a student throughout an entire year of mentorship.
- Your gift of $200 covers the costs of books and enrichment activities for two students for the entire year.
- Your gift of $1000 sponsors 10 kids for the entire school year and helps us build a cohort of young kids on the path to success.
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