09 Oct Park Springs Foundation Benefits Employees at Atlanta’s Premier Retirement Community
Now in its eighth year, the Park Springs Foundation, a 501C-3 nonprofit organization that was started in 2007 by a number of appreciative residents at Park Springs, Atlanta’s premier retirement community is focused on providing scholarships for Park Springs’ employees and their dependent children to local colleges, technical schools and online universities.
The Foundation administers funds that are contributed voluntarily by Park Springs’ members and has awarded approximately 60 scholarships to date. One of the conditions of these scholarships benefiting the Park Springs employees is that they continue to work at Park Springs while carrying on their studies. It takes great effort and commitment to participate in this program.
This fall, because of Park Springs’ Members’ generosity, nine young people will be attending college of technical school in order to improve their abilities and skills, and to enlarge their prospects for a happy, productive life. Four of them are employees of Park Springs; five are dependent children of employees.
In a recent letter to the Members at Park Springs, the Scholarship Committee of the Park Springs Foundation, consisting of Julia Gary, Meg Manning, Mackie Wilmer and Michael Brown, shared some stories of the people helped by the Park Springs Foundation:
“One young man who works as a security guard at night will become a certified heating and air-conditioning engineer. Next semester he will be tackling pre-Calculus! A young woman who works as a Home Helper at Cobblestone will soon finish a nursing degree. The son of one of our employees is a junior in college, majoring in Political Science and Communications. He is very close to having an A average and wants to become a lawyer and eventually “an elected official”! We are helping an especially talented young woman attend the famous Savannah School of Art and Design. A smiling young many you all know is studying Hospitality Management.”
Meg Manning, a member of the Park Springs Foundation’s board since its inception, notes that one of the main objectives of the Foundation’s work is to motivate and reward the Park Springs employees. “Being able to say ‘Thank You’ in such a substantial manner positively influences the day-to-day relationships between the people who live here and those who work here in many ways.”
There have been a number of notable success stories, including many employees who have completed their course of study. The members of the Foundation are pleased that several recipients of scholarships have been able to assume their tuition costs without the Foundation’s assistance. Their success inspires others to apply for scholarships.
Most contributions to the Park Springs Foundation are memorial gifts. Certain members have designated the Foundation to receive matching funds from their former employers.
To learn more about living at Park Springs, a caring and thoughtful senior retirement community, please visit www.parksprings.com or call any one of Park Springs’ Residency Counselors at 678-684-3300.