I remember as a teenager wanting to be like my friends.. being able to have the things EVERYONE had, happened to be a problem.
I didn’t know my family was poor, because I never felt poor. I just thought my grandmother was cheap.. because of the way she responded to every WANT I had..
‘No hay dinero para eso’ – Spanish for = ‘There is no money for that’
She took care of our needs; we were fed; we were clothed and we never heard the word ‘eviction’. It was just the ‘other’ things we never had the chance to have, like the ‘latest’ this or the ‘latest’ that.. combined with our weekly church attendance, our programmed faith along with never needing, made up a ‘good’ life.
This is NEVER ENOUGH for a teenager, especially when as a senior, the cap and gown and yearbook were considered ‘other things’. There was definitely no ‘dinero para eso.’
I then discovered the joy these ‘small’ things can bring by having a part time job at 14 and to this day, it remains etched in my memory.
We have the chance to offer our first Grant Opportunity for the Seniors of HSFI.
Senior Dues Grant covers a cost of about $220. It may not seem like much but for some families, this is a LOT!
Senior Dues covers:
- Cap & Gown & Stole
- Diploma case
- Graduation photo
- Award Ceremony
- Graduation site rental fees
- Yearbook
- Senior Breakfast
- Senior Sweatshirt
- Senior T-Shirt
- Senior Gift
In order to be eligible Seniors MUST meet the following criteria:
- Be of financial need, family must be on public assistance.
- Student must be in good academic standing and have great attendance
- Student must have close to impeccable behavioral record
If you do have a blemish on your record, essay and recommendation letter from Peace Center required.
Essay:
Everyone is deserving of a second chance. We all want to believe that there is nothing we can do, that should stop us from being our best selves, even mistakes made in our past. All of our experiences should always serve as lessons.
Explain in detail the incident (do not include names of others involved) that stained your reputation and what you COULD’VE done if anything, to prevent the situation from happening. What positive lesson did you learn from that experience that has either changed your mindset, or changed you as a person?
Documents to be handed in a sealed envelope to Ms. Chavez in room 429 OR ALL DOCUMENTS attached to email to info@poofa.org – SUBJECT: HSFI Senior Dues Grant
- Online application completed + transcript attached
- Public Assistance awards letter
- Attendance letter – same as letter needed for ‘face to face’ appointment
- Hard Copy of Recommendation letter from staff member
- Hard Copy of Essay:
The Power of One for All Non-Profit was created to help high school students have the ‘small’ experiences that make High School memorable. Certain things such as senior prom, senior trips, class ring, cap and gown, the yearbook and even participating in the graduation ceremony are not affordable for some NYC families. How specifically can or does this opportunity benefit you and/or your family? Out of the many seniors applying for this philanthropic grant, why are you the most deserving?
We urge all HSFI Seniors that meet the criteria and needs, to apply
LATE and INCOMPLETE APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED, NO EXCEPTIONS
GOOD LUCK!!