Dear TRTA members and friends,
I want to thank you for your overwhelming and immediate response to my urgent call for help yesterday. Many of you responded to my plea for donations to the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF) to help educators of the past, present and future, and especially for retirees experiencing critical emergencies right now.
Yesterday, you helped the Foundation raise more than $12,000 in a matter of hours! I know others also attempted to donate but were unable to get through on the system to make a donation online. We had so many generous donors accessing the system at once that it was temporarily overloaded.
I want to thank you again and ask that if you are still considering making a donation and were not able to do so yesterday to try our online system again today or give us a call at the office at 1.800.880.1650 and ask for Sarah. She is able to accept donations over the phone.
I want you to know that TRTF also received numerous emails asking for help. We have many retirees struggling as a result of COVID-19 and this pandemic, by definition, is certainly a disaster for retirees who have lost their part-time jobs as substitute teachers or suffered from this debilitating illness.
As a non-profit, we depend on donation revenue to keep our programs functioning. We cannot continue our important work without your support. Your investment makes a difference in the lives of retirees who have no other avenue right now to find immediate help. Even $5 goes a long way. Thank you for being a friend to TRTF.
TRTF is currently accepting applications for assistance. We are asking all applicants to submit their requests and paperwork electronically at this time. Please send all requests to help@trtf.org.
I also want to let all TRTA members know that this week, I will not be doing a Facebook live event. This Friday is Good Friday, and the TRTA state office will be closed. I know many of you cannot be with your family members right now because of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. You are all in my heart, thoughts, and prayers this Easter weekend.
Please take some time to read some good news from the Foundation as well. Yesterday, TRTF announced its 2020 Beginning Teacher Scholarship y Classroom Assistance Grant recipients during this Facebook live event. Click on the previous links to learn more about the future educators and current teachers who are making a difference today for students all across Texas!
Sincerely,
Tim Lee
TRTF State Coordinator (of behalf of the TRTF Board of Trustees) and TRTA Executive Director
