Every penny counts

We've sent out the information for the Wilson Scholarship and now its our turn to wait for students' application packets - an essay and grades, teacher recommendations and proof of community service.

The Jeffers Foundation offers two $1000 scholarships to graduating, college-bound seniors from Wilson High School in Washington, DC, where Pastor Jeffers used to teach math.  The scholarship honors his desire for children to get a good education and to continue their learning past high school.

We are looking for students who have done well in school and who have been active in their community. We need the next generation to learn and to be encouraged to give back their community, to be active in some kind of service to others.  Volunteering teaches you humility and self-confidence, and gives you a unique perspective on your own life, regardless of your place in life.  When we sort cans at a food pantry, we may realize that our problems aren't as bad as they seem, or even that we're not the only one in our situation.  When tutoring a younger child, we realize how much we have to give to someone else.  One of our essay questions ask how the student intends to use their higher education to give back to their community because want them to understand that their education isn't just for themselves, but for the benefit of their families and neighborhoods, too.

Ours is, admittedly, a small scholarship, when college tuition is now climbing past $20,000 for local, public colleges.  But as our mothers always told us, every penny counts.  $1000 may help a student pay for his books, put some money in her meal plan, or cover lab fees for the semester.  It might help them purchase sheets and towels for their new home away from home, or pay for the airfare or train ticket to get to and from school on breaks.  For some, it may even cover the tuition for a class or two at a local college, to give them a start.  The $1000 may be just what a student needs to say "yes, I can do this."

We ask that you support us in our encouragement of scholarship and community service by making a donation to the Jeffers Foundation for our scholarship fund.  Click on the donate button on the right of the screen to pay by PayPal or send a check to the address listed on the right.  Whether $5 or $100, we appreciate your support.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.  Luke 12:48