IMPACT Newsletter - February 2024
President's Message
Check out the video below from the PPS Foundation President, Cindy Morris!
Check Out Buzz Chats: a PPS Foundation Video Series!
Each month we connect with different members of our community to talk about our public schools and how they interact with current events in Peoria. The video chat is streamed live on our Facebook page.

We recently chatted with three alumni of Richwoods High School: Cassie Robbins (2014 grad), Taylor Morris (2016 grad) and Kayla Butler (2017 grad). You can watch the entire video by clicking on the image below.
We also keep old episodes up on our page so scroll through to catch any you may have missed! 
Save the Date for our Annual Golf Outing!
This event is one of our largest fundraisers and always a lot of fun to participate in. Last year, the private dollars raised through this golf outing supported classroom grants, our Career Exploration programs, scholarships and so much more.  

Sponsorships are so important to this event. We want to ensure that all funds raised can go directly to support our work with Peoria Public Schools. CLICK HERE to view more information on sponsorship pricing.

Ready to sign up your foursome? Click on the button below to register for the event. Feel free to contact Cindy Morris at cindy.morris@psd150.org with any questions!
Free Thank You Note Cards with a $50 Donation
Planning to write a message to someone special in your life? How about sending it in a thank you note card featuring artwork by our talented Peoria Public Schools students? By donating just $50, you will receive six of these cards along with envelopes. Click on the button below to donate today!
PPS Foundation Scholarships Available!
Horizons Program: Speakers Wanted!
For a decade the Horizons Club middle school career exploration program has partnered with community volunteers to expose students across the district to diverse possibilities for their future. We are currently looking for speakers to come into the classroom and share their career story. If you can help, click the button below to see available dates and schools.
Become A Little Free Pantry Sponsor
One of the core programs in our support of students and their families is our Little Free Pantries located outside of most of our buildings. These pantries become an important part of the fabric of the school community, providing basic food needs. We are in search of individuals, organizations, and businesses to help us support these Little Free Pantries. For more information on how you can help, please contact Trish O’Shaughnessy.
PPS Foundation Hero of the Month: Josh Collins
Congratulations to our Hero, Josh Collins, the Director of Transportation at Peoria Public Schools. As an administrator and leader, Josh always goes above and beyond making sure all the complex moving parts of getting students to and home from school, and field experiences are implemented. He always steps up to be supportive of the Foundation and our work. Congratulations Josh. We appreciate you!
Autumn Brown, Horizons Club Career Tech Advocate
Thanks for talking with us, Autumn! Before we get into the 5 questions, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi everyone! My name is Autumn Brown. I am a recent Bradley graduate who loves working with students, especially with the Foundation and Horizons program. I love to be creative and form meaningful connections with others and am super excited to impact and inspire these students.

What’s your favorite thing about the Peoria area?

My favorite thing about the Peoria area is there are many opportunities to do something fun. 

What do you like to do on the weekends?

On the weekends, I like to snuggle up on the couch and watch some of the shows I recorded throughout the week.  

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which ones would you pick?

If I could only have three apps, I would pick Snapchat, Starbucks, and TikTok.

If you could snap your fingers and immediately learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would love to be able to speak Spanish.

What was something you saw recently that made you smile?

Something that I saw recently that made me smile was receiving a letter from a student whom I've worked closely with at Sterling. It felt special to be recognized

Thank you so much for chatting with us today, Autumn! We truly do appreciate everything you do for the PPS students! 
WE ALSO TAKE ONLINE DONATIONS!
Click the picture below to donate.
Thank You to our Community Partners!
We'd like to give an especially big shout out this month to Hy-Vee in Sheridan Village and K2 Benefits for going above and beyond to further our mission to improve the quality of education in Peoria Public Schools!
PPS Foundation's Board of Directors:
Andre Allen, Beth Crider, Solivian Dismuke, Maarten de Haas, Alex Elger, Kim McGhee, Alyce Jackson, Cheryl Sanfilip, and Doug Shaw

Ex Officio Board Members:
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat (PPS Superintendant) and Mike Murphy (PPS Board of Education)

PPS Foundation's Staff:
Cindy Morris - President
Jen Adler - Administrative Director
Allison Coulter - PPS Foundation Ambassador
Trish O'Shaughnessy - Director of Programs-Career & College Readiness and Adopt-a-School
Matt Violet - Data and Programming Logistics Coordinator
Annalee Anderson - Career Tech Advocate
Autumn Brown - Career Tech Advocate
Tessa Little - Career Tech Advocate
Cassie Robbins - Career Tech Advocate
Isabella Turner - Career Tech Advocate