Dear Editor: While explaining charity, Pope Francis said, “True charity requires courage: let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.”
At Futures In Education, our courage comes from our benefactors who give of themselves in order to provide opportunities for the children in our Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens.
My partner and close friend, John Notaro, who is the director of operations and programs at Futures, is always in tune with our statistics and offering guidance on how we can maximize our efforts.
While Futures raises about $8 million annually to provide financially disadvantaged students the opportunity to obtain an excellent Catholic education, that number just scratches the surface of what the families entrusted to our care truly require, with a staggering $11 million in scholarship need going unfulfilled annually.
In a recent Tablet, you printed an article about the overwhelming success of our Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner, led by Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, who is the diocese’s vicar for development, which raised a record $2.2 million.
Our students and their families need us. These are adults like you and me, who only want to provide the very best opportunity (again and again that word), for their children. And they turn to our Catholic academies and schools in Brooklyn and Queens. They realize that Catholic education trumps poverty.
Together, we must spread the word about Futures not only to worthy recipients but also to potential donors. Because of supporters, nearly 6,000 Catholic school students received scholarships this year.
In 2015, we need more. We need to spread the word about Futures and how Catholic schools are outperforming their public and charter school counterparts. I hope your readers will consider a gift to Futures by visiting its website – http://www.futuresineducation.org.
As our Holy Father mentioned, we all need to get our hands dirty to help the students entrusted to our care.
NICK VENDIKOS
Park Slope
Editor’s Note: Nick Vendikos is the director of development for Futures In Education.