Educator Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It’s a mantra that can be applied to the teams who work simultaneously at the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens (CFBQ) and Futures in Education (FIE) for Brooklyn and Queens.
This year, the annual Futures in Education Gala has officially gone virtual to help families keep their children in local parish schools and Catholic academies. Futures in Education relies on this gala every fall to raise money for scholarships.
School leaders and education advocates in the Diocese of Brooklyn are going the extra mile to accommodate former public school parents seeking to enroll their children in Catholic schools.
When we reflect on the COVID-19 crisis, I pray we can look back on this period as the great turning point for our Catholic schools. Amid the suffering and uncertainty, the light of our Catholic schools shone through, especially in Brooklyn and Queens.
Futures in Education has started an emergency relief fund to offer financial help for unemployed parents who suddenly find themselves struggling to pay their child’s tuition.
The conference provided an opportunity for Catholic schools in the Brooklyn Diocese to promote three of their attributes: They are affordable for many low-income families because of scholarships; they outperform public schools academically; and they teach faith-based values.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Oct. 24 that the funding and construction of a New York City statue honoring St. Frances Xavier Cabrini will be overseen by a new 19-member committee which includes members from the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Futures in Education, an organization that provides tuition assistance to help families pay for Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens, raised $2.4 million at its annual fundraising dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on Oct. 22.
That astonishing number elicits a great sense of pride from all who have been involved in Futures in Education over the last 30 years – donors, board members, staff, pastors, principals and students. It’s so significant to us all because we believe so strongly in the mission of Catholic education and in the mantra of Futures: Changing Lives through the Gift of Education.
Our annual golf outing – A Round for the Kids – offers the opportunity for a great round of golf on a championship course and the chance to help disadvantaged students in Brooklyn and Queens get a Catholic education.
