December, 2011
Dear Friends of the Old Stone Education Center:
“My name is Heather Hensley Edelman and I came to OSEC in 2010 looking for help so I could get my GED. What I didn’t realize is that I would get so much more. I dropped out of school when I was 16. I now know it was not the best decision of my life but I feel it has lead me to where I am today. I tried many GED programs but never stuck with any of them. I prayed at church to find a program that would work for me and I learned through a fellow church member about OSEC. I knew it would be perfect for me because their main focus was for women and children. I am a mother of 4 and the school made it easy for me to bring my daughter free of charge to the daycare.
“OSEC has much more to offer than just academics. I gained hands on experience through my 8 week internship which gave me the confidence to feel assured so when I am ready to go into the workplace, I am no longer frightened. I also learned more computer skills from the work experience that I was able to apply to my academics. In the year I have been at OSEC, I have matured as a mother, a student and wife - all of which has also helped me prepare for my upcoming GED test date that I am confident in passing in December.”
“I am forever grateful to all of you for giving me the opportunity to build a future for me and my family. Please consider supporting the very impactful and important work OSEC does which will continue to help support students and families like me. As a provider of academics, career readiness and personal and professional development, OSEC knows that an education is the foundation of success. With your support, I know there will be more success stories after mine.“
Our Mission
The mission of the Old Stone Education Center is to improve lifetime opportunities for women in greater Cleveland who have not completed high school due to childcare needs and economic issues. We enhance the potential of each of our students by providing education in academics, parenting and workforce skills.
It is students like Heather that remind me just how important our services are to women and children in our community. During these turbulent economic times, we are working even harder to ensure we continue to offer the best opportunities available for our students. This can be quite a challenge. As a result, we have had to make some significant organizational changes while never compromising the services we offer. Despite such adversity, we remain proud of our mission and can share some wonderful successes with you. We have increased our GED classes by two classes so that we can continue to provide the best learning environment for our students. We had the most successful student internship program to date in the OSEC history by placing 23 students with local organizations. Finally, we have had 7 students attain their GEDs in 2011 and we have another 11 students scheduled to take their official GED test before the end of the year. Through it all, we have remained strongly focused on helping our students achieve independence through education and career development.
Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” No words could be truer than those spoken. I hope that you consider OSEC as you determine your end-of-the-year charitable gifts so that we can continue to help students like Heather and her children thrive academically, personally and professionally. Please send your tax-deductible donation to 1380 Ontario Cleveland Ohio 44113, call us at 216-241-0311, or make a secure online donation by going to HOW YOU CAN HELP and clicking on DONATE. Thank you for considering this request, and best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy holiday season!
Regards,
Traci E. Felder
Executive Director