“As President of Risen Christ Catholic School, I have the unique opportunity to see the impact that our school has on children and their families as we fulfill our mission of being a bilingual, multicultural and financially accessible school of excellence, educating children in mind, body, and spirit to live and lead in the example of Jesus Christ.
One day last year, I was in the hallway observing the beginning of the school day. As I stood there, a father walked past me into the school with his son. They stopped outside the First Grade classroom and the boy turned to his father. The father leaned down towards his son and said some words quietly to him in Spanish as he touched the child’s forehead, chest, and each shoulder. He was making the sign of the cross – giving his son a blessing as he began his school day.
As he dropped his son off at school that day, that father knew that his son’s knowledge of the Catholic faith would grow and become stronger at Risen Christ. He knew that his son would spend his day learning to read and write in his native tongue and in English. He knew that his son was entering a learning environment that would honor his culture. He knew that he would receive the tuition assistance needed to make his son’s Catholic education a reality. And, most importantly, he knew that his son would be treated with dignity and respect.
In a school where 96% of the student population qualifies for free/reduced price lunch, tuition makes up just 7.5% of our income each year. We rely heavily on the generosity of our donors and foundation partners, including the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation (CSAF). In fact, in recent years, no organization has provided a greater level of annual support than the CSAF. This is why we can say, with pride and confidence, that no child is turned away from Risen Christ.
Your appeal gift is not just a donation to Risen Christ, but it is a donation to 344 individual students and their families, for whom a Catholic education would not be possible without your support.”