Whether you're a student wanting to participate in community service projects or a parent wanting to offer help to an M-A student or family, opportunities abound at M-A! The programs that the PTA supports include:

• Computer Donation Program
• Outreach Holiday Gift Drive
• Project Backpack
• Canned Food Drive
• Gift Card Donations

And now there's a new way to financially support both the Outreach Club and the Freshman Transition Program: Mother Earth Fundraising and Greenraising.com.

Computer Donation Program

Do you or your company have an old computer (working or not), monitor, printer or computer parts that you don't need anymore? The M-A PTA refurbishes old computer equipment for students who do not have access to a computer at home. Since the program started in 1999, over 1000 computers have been supplied to hard-working, deserving M-A students!

All information is securely erased from the hard drives before loading new software and distributing them.

If you have one (or a truckload!) to donate, please contact Sue Kayton at 650-853-1711 or kayton@alum.mit.edu.

Sorry, no Apples or Macs!

Outreach Holiday Gift Drive

The PTA supports the annual Holiday Gift Drive, sponsored by the Outreach Club, with partial financial backing and organizational help. The program provides about 60 M-A families with gifts during the holiday season. Outreach, along with other M-A clubs and community groups, adopts specific families. Gifts are purchased, wrapped and personally delivered to the recipients based on a wish list that they provide.

Outreach Club's Project Backpack

Project Backpack is another Outreach Club holiday program. The PTA provides logistical support. Club members solicit donations of backpacks, toiletries, granola bars, blankets, coats and other warm clothing from the school community. The backpacks are filled and personally delivered to homeless individuals in San Francisco. In 2007 about 200 backpacks were delivered.

2008-2009 Outreach Co-Chairs:

Lisa Major
Leslie Maier

Canned Food Drive

The Canned Food Drive is held in November and December and organized by the Leadership Students. M-A students and staff collect money and non-perishable food in an effort to feed about 400 to 500 M-A families and others in the community. The food drive kicks off in November when students start "canning" - collecting non-perishable foods and donations of money outside of grocery stores. M-A families also send in donations to school. The money that is donated is used to purchase perishable items.

In December at the end of the drive each family receives at least two weeks worth of canned food, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, a large bag of rice and whole chickens.

Adult volunteers are needed the last week of the drive to help the students sort and pack the food into family-sized boxes. Adults are also needed to help deliver the boxes to M-A families on the final Saturday of the food drive.

The food drive started many years ago in Coach Parks' garage. In 1999, the food drive was moved on-campus when Mr. Fontana, the new Activity Director at the time, involved Leadership Students. Over the years the numbers of cans collected has grown from 5,200 to 116,000 in 2006!

2008-2009 Canned Food Drive Co-Chairs:

Charlene Cogan
Karen Armstrong

Donations of Gift Cards

Looking for a meaningful but easy way to help the M-A community? Donate gift certificates or gift cards in the amount of $5, $10 or $15 from Safeway, Target or Walgreens! The certificates will be given to M-A students by the Administration for stop-gap support of their basic, immediate needs.

Gift cards can be put in the PTA mail box in the main office. If you prefer, donations of cash can also be left in the box with a note explaining it is for Outreach gift cards. We cannot accept checks for the gift cards.

Fundraising Programs to Support M-A's Freshman Transition Program and Outreach Club:  Mother Earth Fundraising and Greenraising.com
 
We are thrilled to announce a new fundraising collaboration between our Freshman Transition Program and M-A's Outreach Club.  Both groups have signed on jointly with Mother Earth Fundraising and Greenraising.com, separate eco-friendly web suppliers of 100% recycled gift wrap and cards, 'green' school supplies, reusable shopping bags, organic baking mixes and other gifts, soy candles, fair-trade items, and eco-friendly household, personal, and pet products.  Please consider using Mother Earth Fundraising and/or Greenraising.com for your holiday needs, selecting Menlo-Atherton High School as your beneficiary at checkout.  Each company will forward 25% (!) of all proceeds to be split between Freshman Transition and Outreach.  Purchases will be shipped directly to you.
 
M-A's Freshman Transition students stage an array of programs during the year to help freshmen succeed in their first year, including Challenge Day.   The Outreach Club sponsors the annual Holiday Gift Drive, Project Backpack, plus provides support for local, national, and international programs such as kiva.com, One Laptop Per Child, My New Red Shoes, and more.

Now you can support both groups directly in their efforts to "Raise Money Responsibly" while fostering positive social and environmental change within our community and the world at large.

650.322.5311