Posted 12:08 am Sunday, December 18, 2011
Mayor Issues $200,000 Challenge
By REBECCA HOEFFNER
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
The fourth annual Shine Your Light campaign starts today, and with more nonprofits and more matching funds, this year is looking to be better than ever.
"I challenge all members of our community to step up and give from the heart to help us meet our $200,000 goal this year for our nonprofits we support," Tyler mayor Barbara Bass said. "The needs in the community are greater than ever. Shine Your Light is all about us shining as a community and sharing our blessings. It's about all of us giving together."
Last year donors sent in more than $150,000 to the Shine Your Light Campaign to support the agencies.
Since 2008, Shine Your Light has raised more than $380,000 to meet the most pressing needs in the community.
The agencies this year focus on several key issues: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, helping the unemployed, and protecting children and seniors. The nonprofits selected this year are the Children's Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Christian Women's Job Corps, Christian Men's Job Corps, as well as annual favorites, the East Texas Food Bank, The Salvation Army, People Attempting to Help and Meals On Wheels.
"Mayor Bass was the original catalyst to encourage us to start Shine Your Light," said Nelson Clyde, publisher of the Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph.
"It has annually demonstrated the tradition of generosity in this community. We are pleased to share this partnership with she and Billy and our other founding and sustaining partners."
This year's $72,500 matching funds is the largest amount that has ever kicked off the campaign. Matching partners are an anonymous donor, the Owen Foundation, Fourth Partner, Genecov Group, Mayor Barbara and Billy Bass, Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph.
Niblack Charitable Fund, Melvina and Herbert Buie, Citizen's 1st Bank, Rosemary and Harold Beaird, Drs. SJ Vukelja and Lawrence Anderson and the Dermatology Associates of Tyler.
"We're absolutely thrilled," said Sandy Adams, executive director of the Women's Job Corps. "This is huge for us. We're a small nonprofit with no government funding, so it will have a huge impact on what we do."
Meals On Wheels used last year's fund to help lessen the waiting list for 2010 and this year's funds will help ease the burden of more than $200,000 in government budget cuts, said Nora Reyes with Meals On Wheels.
"We are very appreciative of the efforts of this community and the generous donors," she said in a written release. "We are fortunate to be working in such a selfless town and cannot express enough that every single dollar makes a difference. Tylerites truly take care of their own, and as times get tough who else can we turn to if not our neighbor. Thank you for caring and giving us this opportunity to help our seniors."
Representatives from the agencies all agreed: the need is great.
"We are thrilled to be a part of the Shine Your Light campaign. The need for emergency food assistance continues to rise while resources are becoming more scarce," said Dennis Cullinane, executive director of the East Texas Food Bank, in a written release. "We are grateful that the East Texas community continues to support us in fighting hunger and feeding hope to those in need."
Previous recipients of the Shine Your Light fund said they couldn't have done as much as they did without Shine Your Light.
"There is so much rent and mortgage assistance that we simply wouldn't be able to do without this campaign," said PATH executive director Christina Fulsom. "Shine Your Light has helped us prevent homelessness."
To donate to Shine Your Light, visit www.tylerpaper.com, or ETCF.org, or mail your check payable to Shine Your Light c/o East Texas Communities Foundation, 315 N. Broadway Ave., Tyler, TX, 75702
