An Amazing Gift of Love – Sturbridge People, Helping Sturbridge People
REAS Foundation 2008 Preliminary Report
The REAS Foundation is honored to offer its first official public report on the amazing gift of love extended by Sturbridge residents and businesses on behalf of Sturbridge seniors. As the fiduciary agents granted the privilege and honor of disbursing your gifts, we recognize the enormous responsibility we have to those who have entrusted us with this role. We welcome that responsibility.
Over the last several months - you, the residents and businesses of Sturbridge - have engineered an amazing community-centered approach in addressing the needs of Sturbridge seniors. You have created a source of hope and inspiration for our seniors and our youth. Your efforts, your generosity, and your compassion have filled the hearts of many with love, restored hope to numerous souls, and calmed the fears of our most vulnerable.
It has been an honor for the REAS Foundation to serve as your agents of good will, while providing much needed assistance to Sturbridge seniors on your behalf. We understand that you are in fact the REAS Foundation, for without your faith, your trust, and your generosity, the REAS Foundation is nothing more than a name. We have given the REAS Foundation its life; you - the residents and businesses of Sturbridge - have given the REAS Foundation its heart and soul.
So then, on behalf of the REAS Foundation, the following preliminary report is offered in terms of what exactly WE, as a community, have collectively accomplished these past months.
Total donations received as of 12/07/08 equal $28,525.95.
The 10K Circle of Friends raised $12,830.00 in donations.
The 10K Circle of Businesses raised $15,294.95 in donations.
To date, we have distributed 37 Energy Assistance Applications to Sturbridge seniors.
27 of those applications have been returned, of which 22 have met the criteria and have been approved.
Those 22 qualifying applications have resulted in $10,100 that has been awarded on your behalf. These awards have been conveyed directly to the energy providers of qualifying applicants.
With the exception of a $750.00 non-profit filing fee conveyed to the U.S. Treasury and a $50.00 non-profit booth fee at the Harvest Fest, all administrative costs have been borne directly by individual members of the REAS Foundation Board of Directors. These administrative costs, including but not limited to, legal and financial guidance, advertising and printing costs, brochures, pamphlets, posters, letters, envelopes, stamps, phone service, Internet and website services, post office box, etc. – constitute thousands of dollars in costs that have been absorbed by individual members of the organization.
In terms of our combined efforts with Brownie Troop 30426, we have some exciting information about the work of these amazing young girls. 16 full shopping carts of food were collected at Shaw’s and Stop & Shop, 8 from each. This provided for deliveries of 3 bags of groceries, to 27 different Sturbridge seniors, for a total of 81 bags of groceries delivered on your behalf. What an amazing project and experience it was for all of us, and we all tips our hats to Troop leaders Chris Ellithorpe, Trish Westberg, and Kelly Rynearson, who mentor these future leaders of our community.
In closing, each of us within the REAS organization wishes to express our deep gratitude for the opportunity that you – the residents and businesses of Sturbridge - have provided by granting us the privilege and the honor to serve our seniors on your behalf. We will continue to deliver the highest level of community service to qualifying seniors, that you have a right to expect and demand of us.
Thomas R. Creamer - Executive Director