Title
To commemorate the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls as it celebrates its 5th Anniversary of providing services to young women.
Body
WHEREAS, the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls (OTFG, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization was created to help young talented women realize and achieve their unique potential for success via mentoring, scholarships and enrichment programs; and
WHEREAS, the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls was founded in July of 2014 by Ms. Kimberly Lowe Hall, a 1991 graduate of the Columbus School for Girls (CSG) - Kimberly attended CSG for six years on a full scholarship, however her unique experiences as a student from a family with limited resources inspired her to establish an organization designed to help talented young women from similar backgrounds to thrive in private school settings; and
WHEREAS, the OTFG Scholars Program provides group enrichment activities which help you women develop positive self-images, character, and resiliency - in this mentoring program students participate in monthly group sessions that address self-esteem, career exploration, financial literacy, drug and alcohol abuse, healthy relationships, bullying and peer pressure, time management and social etiquette; and
WHEREAS, the OTFG Incidental Scholarships provides critical funding needed to offset the cost of private school expenses, not covered by traditional financial aid - at many private schools, the annual costs for incidental items such as uniforms, books, class trips, athletics and technology can exceed $2,500 per student - this can often be devastating for young women and families with limited resources, moreover the pressure of meeting these financial expectations can, in some cases, impact the self-esteem and academic success or young women; and
WHEREAS, the OTFG priority goals for the 2018-2019 academic year include: recruiting and enrolling at least fifteen (15) CSG students in the fourth cohort of the OTFG Scholars Program; and raising at least $50,000 in corporate and individual donations to help increase scholarship award amounts and expand mentoring program activities; and
WHEREAS, the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary of providing services to young women - moreover since its founding in 2014, twenty-seven (27) young women have participated in the mentoring program; ten (10) young women have graduated and continued their education at the college level; and nearly $60,000 in scholarships has been awarded, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby commemorate the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls as it celebrates its 5th Anniversary of providing services to young women.