Thumbs Up Newsletter Spring 2010

Parent News
Congratulations to our new Parent of the Year-Fatima Grajeda. Thank
you for being an asset to the program!
you and Patricia Sanchez for assisting
with the food! A big hug and much
gratitude to Deacon Lacombe for adding
the students to his church’s (St. Peter’s
Catholic Church) Angel Tree list, as that
certainly aided in the children’s Christmas
being a great one!. Each student received
a gift from a church member and one from
a volunteer tutor-Secret Santa! Thanks to
each one of you for the continuous love
and generosity shown to the Thumbs Up
Students! A special expression of gratitude
is extended to those volunteers who gave
anonymous gifts and donations during the
holiday season.
Finally, the End of the Year Celebration
was held at the Green Street Gym this year
and again proved to be one of the highlights
for the Thumbs Up Families. Thank you to
the staff for providing a wonderful room
for us to use at no cost! A special thanks to
the volunteers who were able to participate
as well as provide a dessert and/or money,
and reported what a wonderful event it
was. To Mrs. Carolyn Simmons for again
coordinating such a great event, we appreciate
Thumbs Up Newsletter
Thumbs Up, Inc. • 914 Hamar St. • Beaufort, SC 29902
(843) 379-8882
Winter 2010 • Volume 12 Issue 1
Have You Heard OUR Good News??
The Thumbs Up
Family is very pleased to
announce that we have a
new home (in case you
did not know). For the
last two months we have
been getting familiar
with our new environment and are so excited
about the spaciousness
of the rooms and the
accessible kitchen. The
center previously was a
single family home before it was remodeled to fit our needs, and it
still has the warm homelike feel because it is
Our Home!
The students, staff, volunteers, parents
and board members all agree that it is a
most enjoyable place to be. The students
now have the opportunity to help prepare
their food and are actually enjoying taking
turns with the daily
chores, such as closing the blinds, emptying trash, loading
the dishwasher and
sweeping the floors.
The new Thumbs Up
Center is located at
914 Hamar Street
Beaufort, SC. 29902.
(Please make a note
of the change of address) Thanks so very
much to the Boys and
Girls Club for the many years of partnering and sharing their facility with us.
Our partnership will continue on even
though Thumbs Up is not physically there.
We extend a very special thanks to Family Resources. Without their kindness and
generosity, the new center would not have
been possible and we are ever so grateful.
Wish List
Beaufort Gazette Subscription
(3, 6 or 12 months)
Gift cards for honor students ($5-$15)
Volunteer grant writer
Monthly financial partners
(no amount is too small or too large)
Games
Two picnic tables
A gardener (who knows how to grow food)
Executive Director
Shelia Cole
Board of Directors
Linda Jones-Co-chair
Joseph Wood Rutter-Co-Chair
Tim Bruner-Treasurer
Tom Valentino
Mary Trzasko
Veronica Miller
Sheppard Raskind
Upcoming events:
• Open House
• No Party Gala
• A Day of Service – Carteret Street
United Methodist Church members
• Spring Break
The students enjoying their new home
United Way Agency. Thumbs Up does not discriminate
based on, race, gender, ages, disabilities or religion.
Volunteer’s
Corner
Over the last few months, several new
volunteers have joined the Thumbs Up Family.
We are very grateful they have committed
their time, energy and often their own monies
to the Thumbs Up Students. Thank you all
very much for your involvement.
New Thumbs Up Tutors are: Margot
Silva, Rachael Kube, Jean Hamilton, Joe
Simkins, Robert Jennings, Vickie Papke,
Mrs. Kopp and Louis in the elementary room
Petrea “Trea” Tucker, Kay Gibbs and
Beverly Bishop. We are so pleased with
the enthusiasm and expertise that each one
brings to the students.
New Thumbs Up Cooks are: Deidre
Duff, Vickie Papke, Marcia Seymour and
Patrea “Trea” Tucker. We continue to tip
our hats to our “seasoned” cooks- Alison
Davidow, Carolyn Latulip (Volunteer food
coordinator and cook), Joseph “Woody”
Rutter (Friday Pizza) and The Junior Service
League, coordinated by Jennifer Bailey.
The students are certainly blessed to be
able to go home daily with a meal in their
tummies. Thanks to you all. Thank you to
our volunteer cooks who fully stocked the
new kitchen with all that was needed from
A to Z. Thanks so very much, Mrs. Carolyn
Latulip, for taking on this endeavor and
fulfilling the needs of the kitchen from the
cooks, tutors, your family and friends.
New Board Members: We are very pleased
to announce three new board members during
this quarter. Sister Mary Trzasko, Thumbs
Up Founder ; Mrs. Veronica Miller, Keep
Beaufort Beautiful Coordinator and Sheppard
Raskind, Retired Marketing Executive and
volunteer tutor at Thumbs Up and St. Helena
Elementary. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome
each one of you to The Thumbs Up Family.
914 Hamar Street
Beaufort, SC 29920
Thumbs Up, Inc.
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
BEAUFORT, SC
PERMIT NO. 43
Student Spotlight
& Highlights
The completed
“Welcome Boxes”
this quarter, but are
determined to make
it next quarter. Those
students who had
perfect
attendance
during the quarter
were Aurora, Paul,
Timothy and Titus.
Great job! Keep up
the great work!!!
Thanks to our partners, Talbot’s and their
customers for helping
AKA members serving a hearty meal
Riverview students presenting Thumb Up students with items for the Welcome Boxes.
Several students have made academic
strides this quarter and we want to recognize
them for their hard work. Norberto is a
2nd grader at Beaufort Elementary School
who was on the Principals Honor Roll this
quarter. Alacia is a 6th grader at Beaufort
Middle who was an honor roll student
during this last quarter as well. We would
like to recognize Deseree and Aurora, also
6th graders at Beaufort Middle School, who
were very, very close to making honor roll
The Thumbs Up students were excited and
pleased to be the center of attention at the
Storybook Shoppe which is a new children’s
bookstore in Habersham. They were treated
to a special story time presented by Ms.
Nancy Beaupre, store owner and my, my, my!
How did she hold the children’s attention
for so long? The stories and poems that she
read were so fascinating, that even the adults
appeared spellbound. She read books that were
suitable for the winter holidays and gave brief
summaries of some chapter books that the
older students might be interested in reading.
The students were surprised with a Santa Claus
to make the Thumbs Up Students “Make a
Difference Day”, a success. This is one of our
annual community service projects devoted to
making “Welcome Boxes” for the children as
they enter the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) Shelter. The students and staff
at Riverview School who collected numerous bags of needed items to fill the boxes also
joined us in our efforts this year. The ladies of
the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) not
only collected items for the boxes, but also
provided and served the students a great meal.
Thank you and all of the Thumbs Up volunteers who also collected items and those who
were able to help put the boxes together.
hat and goodie bag. After the story time, the
students were told they could choose a book
and the OWL’s Book Club was purchasing the
book for each child! WOW! How awesome
was that? The students absolutely loved reading
the books they picked! Thanks again OWLs
and Ms. Nancy for having us.
The Conservation District
awarded The Thumbs
Up Program a grant that
will allow the students to
take environmental field
trips during this year.
We hope to visit some
places that the children
have not been before. We
are very grateful for this
opportunity. Thank you so
much for your generosity!
Parent News
Rolling Wish List
This is a list of items that are continuously needed. Perhaps if
you spot them on sale, think of Thumbs Up. Thank you.
• Paper towels
• Hand Sanitizer
• Hand soap
• Tissue Paper
• Napkins
• Plastic wrap
• Small paper
• Aluminum foil
plates
• Dishwasher liquid • Juice
• After school
snack items (not
sugary); fruit,
chips, popcorn,
crackers etc.
• Box tops for
education
The Thumbs Up Parents have been quite busy with
their children and the entire Thumbs Up Family lately.
Their last day at the old Thumbs Up room was the same
day they had their awesome workshop with retired police
officer Captain Steve Mendoza. 100% of the parents were
in attendance for the workshop, “Parenting 101”. Captain
Mendoza shared valuable information to the parents and
presented a power point and video presentation addressing
parenting skills. The parents were quite pleased with
the valuable information received and asked additional
questions regarding the topic. The parents then met with
their children in the Thumbs Up room for the family’s
“last supper” at the Boys and Girls Club.
Parents “Last Supper” at the Boys and Girls Club.
Once each of the parents, students and staff grabbed
a box to carry, everyone met with volunteers at the New parents, and volunteers were quite impressed with the new
Thumbs Up Center. What an exciting event! The children, center and have come to love our new home.
The Thumbs Up students and their siblings
were given an opportunity to purchase a new
pair of shoes at Payless
through the Shoes 4 Kids
program and in partnership with Greater Horizons. Most of the parents
were able to meet at the
The students and their siblings were pleased
center to ride the Thumbs
with their selection of new shoes.
Up bus to the Bluffton
store to purchase a pair of shoes for each of the children in their
household. The children picked out a pair of shoes each and
were pleased with their purchase. Thank you to the Payless Shoes
4 Kids program for providing the Thumbs Up students and their
siblings with a new pair of shoes during the holiday season.
Congratulations on being selected as a partner in the Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids program!