GDEF/Noises Off/Best Buddies

GDEF Information

GDEF Seeks Volunteers….Annual Giving Campaign Launching this Month

Our district schools rely on the Groton Dunstable Education Foundation to fill a critical need by funding grants for innovative programs, materials and professional development that fall outside the regular budget and help foster our teachers’ creativity and improve student achievement.   GDEF’s mini-grant cycle for amounts up to $500 is currently open, and GDEF recently awarded a grant to Danielle Patenaude-Dumont to enhance grammar instruction for her 9^th grade students.  GDEF needs more volunteers in many areas, including grants review and administration, school relations, website maintenance, and annual giving.  If you can help, please complete the attached volunteer form and email it to info@gdefinc.org. 

Last year GDEF received so many wonderful applications that it had to dip into reserves to fund more than the $29,000 raised through its Annual Giving Campaign (AGC).  This year GDEF is counting on your support to reach its new goal of $35,000.  In mid-November, be on the lookout for AGC information coming in newsletters and local media, as well as through emails and the mail.  For more information, visit www.gdefinc.org.

Please view our website for additional information.  

Noises Off

Please come and see the production of Noises Off.  Tickets are available at the door.  

Friday November 7th @ 7 PM
Saturday November 8th @ 2 PM and 7 PM
BBX - GDRHS

Yankee Candle Fundraiser

Members of the PAVE program are currently running a fundraiser to benefit our Crusader Pals initiative.  The goal is to partner with Best Buddies.  I have included some information about Best Buddies below. The Yankee Candle Fund Raiser for Crusader Pals will benefit both the Crusader Plans and Best Buddies initiatives.  Sales close on Friday.  Below is a link to the website.  Please use the group number provided. 

The Link is :  www.yankeecandlefundraising.com

Group Number is:  990072197

Checks can be made out to :  GDRHS/Crusader Pals

http://www.bestbuddies.org/

Best Buddies® is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to almost 1,700 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 United States, and in 50 countries around the world.

Best Buddies’ eight formal programs — Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies®, Jobs, Ambassadors, and Promoters — positively impact nearly 800,000 individuals with and without disabilities worldwide. Best Buddies volunteers annually contribute, at no cost to their communities, support services that equate to more than $168 million USD.

As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with IDD secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships. Although Best Buddies has advanced tremendously in its short existence, many areas of the country and many regions of the world still lack programs to help people with IDD become part of mainstream society. With that in mind, Best Buddies is systematically implementing its 2020 Initiative, which will witness the organization’s continued significant growth, both domestically and overseas.