The foundation has created a CafePress online store that has unique designs that can be placed on various items from mugs, to t-shirts, to totes! The “Jean & Joe’s” store (named as a nod to our namesakes Jean Mostyn and Joe Moreno) 100% of the foundation’s income from sales are designated exclusively for our programs that benefit children with disabilities. Check it out! www.cafepress.com/mostynmoreno
Thanks to you, we set a new record by serving 1,347 children with disabilities through our annual Christmas Lights program. Over 3,200 children, teachers, and family (and 1 Santa) enjoyed a holiday feast, too!
The Mostyn Moreno Foundation’s signature program is the Christmas Lights program. It benefits students enrolled in a Texas public school district’s life skills classrooms during the Christmas season. Unlike other programs that solicit toys to give to needy children, our program takes children to a local retail store so they may select and purchase their own Christmas gifts. This allows the children to use critical skills such as math, decision-making, social skills and other important life skills with the guidance of their teachers. Following each special shopping trip, the students and their families are provided a catered holiday luncheon with their teachers and Santa Claus. For 2018, the program served 19 Texas independent school districts and over 1300+ students.
Did you know that it takes over $120,000 to provide this great opportunity to these special children? Your support truly makes a difference. Make a new year’s resolution to become more active and involved in our programs. You can kick off the new year with a charitable donation so we may continue to provide Christmas Lights and other programs to children with disabilities.
A new video has been released that highlights the foundation’s impact on children with disabilities and their families. The video features footage from our programs and those that participate in them. Please enjoy our video.
2018 Joe Moreno Charity Classic presented by AT&T’s
Golf Committee Chairs Announced Today
This year, the annual Joe Moreno Charity Classic presented by AT&T will honor the memory of the foundation’s co-founder Steve Mostyn. Chairing the event are Texas State Senator John Whitmire, Texas State Senator Sylvia Garcia, and Harris County Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Each of our chairs has a long and distinguished history of service to their communities. They also loved their friend Steve Mostyn. Proceeds from the golf tournament will fund programs provided by the Glenda Jean Mostyn and Joe E Moreno Educational Foundation. The foundation was created by Steve and Amber Mostyn in 2006 to move mountains for children with disabilities and their families.
More information at np4.92b.myftpupload.com/golf
From time to time, we discover interesting posts, unique programs, and great resources for families that have children with special needs. In most cases, we post links to our social media accounts in an effort to share our discovery. Yesterday, we found a posting on the “Don’t Pay in Full” blog. The article, written by Irina Vasilescu, shares numerous links to resources to obtain travel assistance, therapy tools and mobility aids, limited financial assistance, and “extras”. We posted a link to our social media accounts and it has become one of our most shared posts. Here is the link for the blog post. Feel free to check it out and share! THE COMPLETE LIST OF FREE THINGS AND GRANTS FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
This is not an endorsement and we share the link only as a possible resource for those that may find it useful.
We are so thrilled to announce the publishing of our new, improved, and updated website. This redesign is the result of many weeks of discussion, web design, technical finesse, and team effort. A special thanks to Chris and Dan for getting us over the finish line.
We hope you enjoy the improvements in design and content throughout the various pages.
Improvements include:
Twenty years ago Jackie Zigtema began taking her special education students on a Christmas shopping trip to help them learn valuable real-world skills. It was not long after that her brother Steve Mostyn decided to help find ways to help expand the program.
Today the Glenda Jean Mostyn and Joe E. Moreno Educational Foundation sponsor an annual Christmas Lights shopping trip and luncheon in 19 school districts, with more than 1,250 students.
“We did it on a small scale, (Steve) came and then said I came and he’d call me the next year and say let’s add a school,” Zigtema said. “It’s an unbelievable gift to these kids.”
Caring for special needs students is a family affair; the foundation is named in honor of their mother Glenda Jean, who spent her career working with students at the old St. Louis school.
Foundation Executive Director Monte Osburn said the event with Whitehouse Independent School District was especially meaningful this year. The family hails from Whitehouse and this marked the first shopping trip since Steve passed away in November.
The foundation has a raffle going for a $100 gift certificate of awesome BBQ at The Pit Room in Houston, TX. The BBQ is listed in Texas Monthly as one of the top 50 BBQ places in Texas. I can accept cash, check or credit card or you can send me funds through the Facebook messenger. Details in the graphic above.
