A 'Night of Dreams' for Tuition-Free Pre-school

It certainly was a “Night of Dreams” on Oct. 25 for Family Connections, a tuition free co-op preschool for low-income families. The organization raised $65,000 and had the support of numerous local politicians and community members among the 217 attendees.

Tickets sold out, and many interested individuals had to be turned away from the .

“[This] is a great opportunity for our Board of Directors and staff to publicly recognize supporters who have contributed to our ongoing success by giving their time, talent and financial support to our organization over the past 18 years,” commented Family Connections Executive Director, Renee Zimmerman. Family Connections not only gives families the opportunity to place their children in a preschool at no cost, but requires them to play an active role in their education. Over 400 children and their families, many of them English learners, participate in one of three locations in Redwood City, east Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.

Honorees were board president Alisa Greene MacAvoy for Outstanding Volunteer, Little Hands – A Parent Child Center for-Outstanding Community Partner, and The Intero Foundation for Outstanding Funder.

About the honorees:

Alisa Greene MacAvoy has worked in the youth and education arena ever since her now 13 year old daughter attended Little Hands when Marissa was 9 months old.   She is a former Family Connections Board Member and is currently on their advisory board where she serves as an important liaison between Family Connections and the Redwood City School District Board of Trustees. 

MacAvoy chaired Family Connections’ very successful Authors Night and was on the planning committee for six years.  She played a vital role in the expansion from two to three sites and was a strong advocate for opening a school in Redwood City.  She advocates for education with business groups, parent organizations, locally elected officials, state and federal officials, non-profit organizations and community groups

Little Hands – A Parent Child Center has been providing early childhood preschool and parent education to the community since 1975. In 1993, their strong commitment to cooperative education formed the basis for bringing this effective model of child growth and development to the high need community of East Palo Alto. Parents and teachers from Little Hands worked tirelessly to get a new program up and running which eventually became Family Connections.

The Intero Foundation is committed to positively impacting the growth and well being of children in communities in which they work by supporting organizations focused on assisting their education and personal development.  Since 2002 The Intero Foundation has raised more than $1.19 million to benefit these children. 

The Intero Foundation has provided direct grant support to Family Connections since 2006 and most recently awarded $7,500 to support expanding the school’s Pre-K math and science curriculum. The Intero Foundation is funded, promoted and governed by Intero agents – each of whom are vested in the health of the communities in which they work and live. An executive committee, led by Intero President and CEO Gino Blefari, provides strategic guidance. All members of the Intero community – executives, staff and agents – donate their time to further the Foundation’s mission.