As part of its quarterly charitable giving, the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation has gifted a total of $4,000 in grants to four nonprofit organizations: American Red Cross of Southeastern Wisconsin, Frank Elementary School, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin, and the Pearce Family Foundation.
The Make It Better Foundation gifted a $1,000 grant to the American Red Cross of Southeastern Wisconsin for its Home Fire Financial Assistance program, which offers aid and resources to others to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies through immediate assistance, education, outreach, and training. Grant funds will finance the support of on-site Red Cross responders for two families who are afflicted by a house fire. In addition, the funds will provide shelter, replace food, clothing, prescription medications, and infant formula as well as meet other critical needs for a family after a fire.
“Home fires are the most common disaster the American Red Cross responds to in any community,” says Scott Marshall, senior corporate development officer for the American Red Cross. “We are proud to partner with the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation to help get families back on their feet after these devastating events.”
A $1,000 grant was awarded to Frank Elementary School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to benefit a classroom-specific project, Technology to Ignite Learning. The project focuses on pairing a kindergarten/first grade classroom with a fourth/fifth grade classroom to collaboratively use technology as a means to improve math and literacy skills. Approximately once per week, the students meet as buddy classrooms where they engage in academic projects that enhance learning expeditions, promote student-to-student collaboration, and assure success for all involved.
Grant funds will finance the purchase of two laptop computers and 10 Lenovo tablets for the classrooms to use. This technology will also allow English Language Learners to hear new words and become fluent in reading, challenge kindergartners and first graders as they engage with their buddies in accelerated reading comprehension quizzes, and give autistic students a chance to collaborate with others.
“We are just thrilled to be selected as a Make It Better grant recipient. Our K/1 and 4/5 reading buddy classrooms are excited to work together on the Technology to Ignite Learning project,” says Beth Smith, teacher at Frank Elementary School. “The students will also use the technology to capture learning in action via photos and videos. Once again, we thank Cousins Subs for this opportunity.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin received a $1,000 grant to support its One-to-One Youth Mentoring program. The donation will help safely match and support one-to-one relationships where volunteers serve as role models to youth supported by on-going, professional monitoring. These close, personalized relationships cultivate the most impactful life experiences for community youth facing adversity and change their lives for the better.
“It’s important for our agency to partner with community champions like Cousins Subs to enhance the lives of area youth,” says Todd McPeek, executive director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern Wisconsin. “This support will help deliver mentoring so local youth self-confidence improves, youth build stronger self-efficacy, and they are more apt to make healthy choices leading to academic achievement and graduation at a substantially higher rate.”
The Pearce Family Foundation, based in Phoenix, Arizona, was gifted a $1,000 grant to benefit its main initiative, Angels Around Us. This initiative provides financial assistance to area families who have a child suffering from a chronic or life-threatening illness. Angels Around Us helps alleviate some of the costs associated with rent or mortgage payments, grocery or pharmacy bills, a service dog for a child, auto repairs, and utilities. The grant guarantees that the organization will be able to assist at least two families with utility bills and/or rent. The focus of such funding is to relieve stress for the family so they can focus on their child’s journey to get well.
“The Pearce Family Foundation is beyond thankful for the grant that the Make It Better Foundation has awarded us,” says Meghan Pearce, CEO of the Pearce Family Foundation. “Being a new foundation in the East Valley, we are grateful Cousins Subs recognized the impact we are trying to make on families in our community with our Angels Around Us initiative.”
Each grant is funded through the Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization established in 2013. The Make It Better Foundation aims to improve the general welfare and quality of life in the communities Cousins Subs serves and addresses three areas of interest that are vital to any community: health and wellness, hunger, and youth education.
“Our Make It Better Foundation focuses on supporting local nonprofits that have a profound impact on the people and the communities they serve,” says Justin McCoy, director on Cousins Subs Make It Better Foundation board. “The work of each of these deserving organizations is essential to the wellbeing and advancement of our communities.”