The mission of T&E Care is to maintain a network of people providing financial and other material assistance to persons in need in and around the Tredyffrin and Easttown township area.
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Special request for assistance 6/29/09
Over the past 3 months T&E Care has been asked for assistance by many many more families than normal. It is obvious that the economic situation is starting to impact everyone. Many of these requests are from people who currently live "on the edge" financially, and have had hours cut back - and when every dollar counts, then a few hours a week less of work makes a HUGE difference. Because of the incredible generosity of this community, through general donations, and various fund raisers run for T&E Care, we have had a healthy treasury to use in responding to these requests for assistance. But that treasury is now running low and WE need your help.
We have paid out over $5000 in rent payments, and over $2000 in utility bills and car repair bills since May 1. That doesn't count the extra support we've give for educational expenses, summer camp expenses, and medical assistance. This was on top of $3000+ of assistance in April. All requests are carefully vetted. We know this money is being put to good use. And when we can - we work with the family to create solutions to avoid these problems in the future.
We have been fortunate in the past week or so to have received unsolicited donations of support from a few community members who must have been "reading our minds". We thank them sooo much, but we still do need more help - to get us through the summer and fall months. Our next big fund raiser is our party on November 7 (see below for details). We hope you can attend that! But in the meantime, if you are willing to make a donation to T&E Care - that would be most appreciated. Donations can be mailed to our treasurer, Debbie Weger, at 540 Contention Lane, Berwyn. 19312.
We know the School Supply Drive (below) is coming soon and we need lots of help there, as well. These are tough times and we will need to do whatever we can to help out. THANKS for any support you can offer!!!!!!!!!
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SPECIAL NEEDS FOR LOCAL FAMILIES
updated 06-28-2009
If you have the ability to help with any of these VERY important needs for a few of our local families - please click below for more details:
Appliances/Furniture: (let us know if you have any!)
- 4/30/09 A family will be moving in late June. They will need a full size or queen size bed,
twin beds and dressers (tall, not wide). If you have any of these, please let us know.
- 6/2/09 - another family we know will be moving in late June - they need a
couch and chair, a small coffee table and a small (and narrow) side table for their new house.
- 6/26/09 another family has a problem with bedbugs and needs a couch and love seat - please let us know if you can help!
- 6/26/09 another family desperately needs a love seat and chair or two - if you have either to offer, let us know.
Clothing
- 6/26/09 We have learned of a family that has 4 kids who all need clothes. If you have any clothes in these sizes, please let us know:
15 year old boy - 34 (36?) waist, (32?) 34 long, adult L
12 year old boy - 32 waist, 34 long, adult L
8 and 9 year old girls - both wear size 9, girls medium clothes
Cars:
We know of a couple of local families who are desperate to get a "new" car. They currently have cars, but the cars are FALLING apart and unsafe to drive. If they lose the car, they lose their jobs. They can't pay
their rent without getting to work. The cycle begins. Getting a "new" car
will stop the tailspin before things get out of control. If you have a
car that works well that you would like to donate to a local family,
please let us know.
We will work with you on applying for a tax deduction for this
donation. This would be a great opportunity to get a special tax
deduction in 2009 while truly changing a family's life.
(MANY
THANKS to five car offers we had in 2008 - this community is incredible! You
have no idea how life-changing these cars are for families!! But we still have more families on the list - PLEASE consider helping out!)
If you can help out with anything requested on this page - please email us at help@tecare.org.
THANKS!
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SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE 2009
This year's school supply drive is about to get started. The drive will run from July 11 - Aug 2. It will be important that as many people as possible help out this year - as the number of children we will be helping is growing from 40 (last year's number) to almost 120!!! According to the supply lists, that's over 1440 pencils and 720 pocket folders! PLEASE check out the details on the School Supply page and lend us a hand. We really appreciate your assistance!
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TESD Staff Walked for T&E Care (and FLITE)
On Thursday, June 14, 2009, many Tredyffrin/Easttown School District staff members met at Wilson Park to walk 3 miles for T&E Care and FLITE (the Foundation for Learning In Tredyffrin/Easttown). We
are honored that the local teacher's union
(Tredyffrin Easttown Education Association - TEEA) decided to host this walk for these two organizations. Both T&E Care and FLITE work with students and families in the district, coordinating much of this through the school district. Many thanks to the great
staff of the TESD for their efforts in
planning this special event. Despite the dark cloud and drizzle on the day of the event, much fun was had by all who participated. And $3500 was raised by the participants for EACH of the two groups! What a HUGE help that will be for both FLITE and T&E Care.
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| Sheryl Roche (FLITE), Deb Ciamacca (TEEA) and Cathy Lucas (T&E Care) |
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| TESD staff walk for T&E Care and FLITE |
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T&E Care Fall Fest
Again this fall there will be a special T&E Care fund raiser at Waynesborough Country Club. There will be dancing, a silent auction, dinner, etc. More details will be following soon - but for now - mark your calendars for
Saturday, November 7
for this important event.
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T&E Care School Meal Assistance Program
T&E Care is working to help local families who struggle to afford school breakfasts or lunches. Whether you need help or would like to offer a donation for this program, please check our special website page for more information.
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Home Make-over Project
Some families are living in homes that need many repairs, with no way to afford them. As we work with some of these families, we hope to offer help fixing up their homes. If you have any skills related to home repair: painting, plumbing, electrical, general contractor, etc. we'd love to hear from you. If we identify a particular family needing support, then we'll contact you for assistance. If you are just a regular person who would love to offer assistance for one of these projects - we'd love to hear from you, too! There are all sorts of ways that everyone can help out! Thanks!
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HELP ALWAYS NEEDED WITH ...
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- Any general cash donation or pledge for a future donation would always appreciated. General gift cards can also be used at any time (grocery stores, all purpose stores, general VISA cards, etc.) See our donation page for more details.
PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ABOUT T&E CARE ! WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE HELP!
|  EXCITING
NEWS: WE HAVE JUST ADDED A DIRECT LINK TO A WEBSITE THROUGH WHICH YOU
CAN BUY GIFT CARDS AND HAVE THEM SENT DIRECTLY TO US. We have also set
this up so any purchases of gift cards made through our site will give
T&E Care 7% cash back! It's a great opportunity to help in two ways
at the same time! Get more info on the DONATE page.
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Many THANKS for the recent donations ....
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- 6/26/09 - Thanks to Cooper Mueller, a young resident in the community, who asked for grocery gift cards instead of presents for his recent 5 year birthday. Cooper received over $200 in gift cards that will be shared with families needing extra help in these tough times. Many thanks Cooper!!!!!
- 6/21/09 - Thanks to Acme for a $1000 donation for the local REACT food pantry. Instead of giving us permission to run a food drive outside the local stores this summer, they made this donation. This will be a huge help to avoid the frequent summer slow-down in food donations at the food pantry.
- 5/16/09 - Many thanks to the TESD staff members who gave up a few hours of their time on May 14 to walk 3 miles at Wilson Park to raise money for FLITE and T&E Care. Special thanks to Deb Ciamacca (TEEA president) for helping to arrange the event!
- 5/15/09 - Many thanks to Art Roman of The Kitchen Workshop for offering 3 area children free tuition in his Young Adults & Kids Cooking Camps this summer. More information about his great camps can be found on his website.
- 4/10/09 - An incredible Easter was had by some local families thanks to members of the Main Line Unitarian Church (led by Judy Wilson and Julie Chippendale) who made over 20 gorgeous Easter baskets, and to the many families who donated hams and other food items for Easter dinners for 8 local families. These 8 families were all incredibly thankful for our offers of support, and their kids LOVED their baskets! Thanks again to Art Roman of The Kitchen Workshop (Paoli) for also providing some of the food for the dinners. Art is a true supporter of T&E Care.
- 3/31/09 - Special thanks to those community members who offered to help some local families with their taxes. This was a great savings for families who know that every dollar matters!
- 3/22/09 - Many thanks to the Conestoga Girls Lacrosse Team and Booster Club for collecting over 2 carloads of food for the local REACT food pantry. Special thanks to Pathmark (Berwyn) for letting us host the event at their store, and to Joanne Priem for coordinating the event. VERY special thanks to all those shoppers who bought the extra items for the food pantry. (Thanks also to Trader Joes in Gateway Shopping Center for donating $35 in food to the food pantry.)
- 3/10/09 - Many thanks to Paoli Auto Repairs, Inc on Spring Street in Paoli for offering to do a free oil change and basic maintenance check for a local family. They recognize that people are struggling through the hard times, and wanted to help out. What a terrific community member!
- 2/20/09 - Many thanks to Dave Dobbins of Dream Finishers - a local contractor who did some work for a local family - transforming a bathroom with some much-needed renovations. He did a terrific job and donated much of his time for this project. Thanks Dave!
- 1/31/09 - Special thanks to Art Roman of The Kitchen Workshop (Paoli) and Shawn Maloney of Panera Bread (Gateway Shopping Center) for making our event today a success. Art provided the ingredients for delicious soup, and Shawn brought over bread bowls for the soup. Additionally Shawn brought a check for T&E Care for over $2500, collected at the restaurant since it opened in 2008. Thanks to all those community members who joined us on this special day.
- 1/9/09 - Special thanks to St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church in Devon for including T&E Care in their list of options for their Christmas 2008 "Gifts of Hope" program. People were able to make donations directly to various organizations listed in the church's program in lieu of normal holiday gifts, we we really appreciated the support of those who made donations to T&E Care! What a wonderful gesture at these special times.
- 1/5/09 - Thanks to two local dentists who recently offered their services to a family needing help. Hats off to Dr. Rob Raymond (Gateway Shopping Center) and Dr. Joel Funari (Devon) for their generous offers of help.
Additional thanks for past donations are found on the THANKS! page.
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"Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world." Margaret Mead
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