SOWMA Volunteers Keep Our Kids Moving Forward
On the very rainy evening of Wednesday, May 4, 2016 School on Wheels tutors and volunteers gathered for a dinner in their honor at the Bridgewater Vets Club. Guests enjoyed socializing and sharing stories and good feelings about their experiences working with students at SOWMA’s tutoring sites over the past year or collecting, sorting, and preparing donated school supplies at SOWMA headquarters.
Crescent Credit Union was honored as the Outstanding Business Partner of the Year for their ongoing commitment as the anchor sponsor of Outrunning Homelessness 5K/Family Walk. President Robert Gustafson and Vice President, Marketing Jonah Wein accepted the award on behalf of Crescent Credit Union. For five consecutive years, CCU has sponsored the event, which is SOWMA’s signature fundraiser. CCU’s support and promotion this year helped Outrunning Homelessness exceed its fundraising goal by $8,000!
Cynthia Sparks, a long-time School on Wheels tutor, was recognized as Tutor of the Year, and Lori Prew as a Champion for SOWMA’s Kids for her dedication and enthusiasm for SOWMA and the support of our students’ education.
Oeghan Blanchard and Sara Spatola were highlighted as outstanding volunteers for their ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of our kids’ education by raising community awareness about SOWMA and helping to organize school supplies.
To round out the evening’s program, several students and their mentors shared their own stories and spoke about the positive impact that SOWMA has had on their education and self-confidence. A High School Plus student who has been in the tutoring program since 2009, said “I plan to stick with SOWMA as long as I can. With help from my tutor and School on Wheels, I cannot wait for college!”
