The 2nd Annual Birthday Bash for the Ann Richards School filled the home of Chris Mattsson and John McHale. Event Chair Nona Niland and committee certainly delighted in the attendance which included Austin School Superintendent Dr. Meria Carstarphen. Most remarkable was the extraordinary composure and courtesy exhibited by the young women attending the school. At the bash, they served as ambassadors for the school by greeting guests and serving canapés. With their work at the school, they will have a work history far beyond serving canapés.

Central Texas financial institutions, restaurants, law firms, hospitals, small businesses and others are donating their time, staff, and resources to support the 14th Annual Food for Thought event at the Austin Music Hall benefiting Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CIS).

Local business leaders understand that supporting children is a powerful investment in the Texas economy. Central Texas businesses are coming together to lend their support for Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CIS) to ensure that each student has every opportunity to stay in school and gain the tools they need not just to survive, but to thrive. CIS of Central Texas provides support and leverages community resources for schools, students, and their families to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.

Mike Levy, founder and publisher emeritus of Texas Monthly magazine, is leading this charge and served as event chair. “Texas Monthly has had a philosophy of ‘guerilla philanthropy,’ always searching for non profits that exhibit innovation and entrepreneurship, insuring that an investment will achieve an exponential return—and Communities In Schools has clearly fit this criteria,” Levy states. “You can be assured that giving your time and your money to Communities In Schools will be a sound investment.”

Now more than ever, businesses want to trust that their non profit contributions are making an impact, and they know that CIS is a sound investment. Just within the past year, Communities In Schools has been recognized as a best practice model by the Texas Education Agency, the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network, and the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. “For 25 years, CIS services have consistently led to student success,” said Suki Steinhauser, chief executive officer of Communities In Schools of Central Texas. “Last year alone, of the 5,400 children we served, 99 percent completed the school year and 85 percent successfully improved their grades, attendance, and/or behavior.”

The Renaissance Hotel was filled to the rafters for the 4th Annual Beauty of Life luncheon. A wealth of merchants provided superior shopping and browsing as friends gathered for the annual benefit hosted by Les Amis de Hospice for Hospice Austin. Anne Elizabeth Wynn was particularly effective as emcee with guest speaker Charla Krupp providing her tips and hints for “outer beauty.” The stellar turnout provided essential support for the mission of Austin’s only non-profit hospice.