“She loves Christmas,”; Amy Moss said of her 6-year-old daughter, a Life Skills student at Helena Park Elementary. “This was very special for her. She had a good time.”
HOUSTON — The Glenda Jean Mostyn and Joe E. Moreno Foundation recently added seven independent school districts in Texas to its annual holiday program, known as “Christmas Lights”.
The additions bring the total number of participating school districts in the “Christmas Lights” program to 19. The program is intended to teach basic life skills, such as shopping and budgeting, to students with special needs. New districts joining the “Christmas Lights” program include Carlisle ISD, Laneville ISD, Leverett’s Chapel ISD, Mt. Enterprise ISD, Overton ISD, Tatum ISD, and West Rusk Consolidated County ISD.
“We’re very excited to bring this great program to even more kids in 2014,” said Steve Mostyn, the Foundation’s co-founder and primary supporter. “Kids throughout Texas deserve the chance to learn and participate. We couldn’t be happier that we’ll get the chance to expand to even more communities.”
Participants in the “Christmas Lights” program are taken to a special lunch with their teachers after going shopping for gifts with funds provided by the Mostyn Moreno Foundation. Throughout the experience, children practice basic decision-making, math, and social skills with guidance from their teachers. In 2013, over 1,034 students with special needs participated in the program, a number that is expected to increase substantially with recent additional school districts.
“The Mostyn Moreno Foundation provides a unique experience for children to learn, practice essential skills, and get great gifts for friends and family,” said Monte Osburn, the executive director for the Foundation. “We’ve been doing this for years now but each year is somehow better than the last.”
Osburn estimates that the total number of children participating in the 2014 program will exceed 1,100. School districts that are involved with the Mostyn Moreno Foundation are located throughout Gulf Coast, as well as central and east Texas.
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Original Story: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/02/prweb11572750.htm