At last count, we are 157 members strong. Those of us who have been around for a while are really pleased that so many really superior members of our profession have decided to join us. Although we are still not as well known as we would like, more and more retirees are attending our annual meet and greet in September. What we do know about most of those who became aware of MCREA were encouraged to join by a colleague member. So, please get in touch with those who will be retiring this year and invite them to come to a meeting or to the meet and greet. I understand that there will be a large group of retirees this year due to their having to sign up for DROP five years ago when it was being changed. Some had not planned to go to pasture that soon, but it was in their own best interests to do so. Where all the new teachers to take their places will come from must present a real dilemma for the school system. The pleasure of membership in MCREA is immediately obvious when one attends a meeting. But the other benefits of membership such as joining the FREA in lobbying for our retirement plan, and the other slim perks we receive, underlines the need to join with other retired educators across the state. And, as usual, we pay back with our volunteering in the schools and community, with our donations to the food bank, to FELT, to the Salvation Army, to the scholarship funds, and in all the other ways retired educators continue their desire to help others. That's just who we are.
Bill Evers, Director of Feeding Empty Little Tummies, was our speaker at the February meeting. He reported that FELT is now delivering food for students to take home over the weekend to a few high schools in addition to the elementary and middle schools which they already serve. In the past year, FELT served over 55,000 meals. That number will have grown considerably this year. The plight of the working poor in Manatee County is so easy to be ignored. We all see the crowds of tourists and winter visitors living it up at the beaches and in the restaurants and we forget about that other population that struggles with feeding and housing their families on minimum wages and part time jobs. The kids that are in the FELT program have been deemed homeless by the Manatee County Schools. Homeless might mean living out of a car, in a shelter, crammed in with relatives, or in a tent in a homeless camp.
We have been compiling used books to be included in the food back packs at Christmas vacation and at the last day of school in June. We will not have enough books for all of them because our collection number is usually around 200 books. I urge you to bring in books. Deborah Thomas has been finding them at the Main Public Library where they have a second hand book store. Another source is the Good Will Book Store at Tara. I pick them up at Big Lots and from bins in grocery stores. This will be our final meeting to donate books this school year. It takes me a while to get them organized, graded, and delivered. Then the volunteers have to take them out to the schools.
Another way to help FELT is to write them a check. The volunteers there are able to buy food at low prices from the same sources that the Manatee Food Bank relies on.
Checks can be sent to Felt Inc. of Manatee
936 14th St. West
Bradenton FL 34205
Our membership drive begins this month. The cut-off date to have your name in the MCREA Directory is Sept. 30. I am sending you a copy of the membership form by email, so that you will only need to fill it out and bring it to the meeting or mail it to our Treasurer. It is much easier for everyone if you take care of this promptly and save someone from having to call you or waste postage reminding you.
Our speakers for April 21 are Susan and John Darovec. As you know, Susan is a member of MCREA and serves as our Legislative Chair. She and John serve on the Citizens Climate Lobby. Their topic is titled, "Political Will for a Livable World."
As usual, if you do not hear from your caller the week previous to our meeting, please call Sue Roe, 792-4786.
See you soon,
Ellen
