Dear Mrs. Baty,

Its not a fairy tale that Oregon ranks among the highest for homeless children in the nation. Many people believe the blameful story that families are homeless because they are lazy, dont want to work or are drug or alcohol affected. The true story is that the average monthly rent in Oregon is $600 per month before utilities. When a minimum wage salary is $260 per week, no one has to be a magician to see that a single parent with 4 to 10 thousand a year in child care expense faces demons every day. I am writing to see if Macys would be interested in sponsoring a non-profit event for the Community Transitional Schools 11th annual Mom & Me Tea held Saturday May 7th, 2008 at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

This event is a fundraiser for our local school for homeless children. The Community Transitional School is a private school dedicated entirely to the needs of children whose families are homeless, in transition and experiencing chronic poverty-related crises.

Each year the Community Transitional School raises money through our annual Mom & Me Tea. We invite mothers and their daughters from the Portland Metropolitan Area to join us in celebrating the school, our staff, and our accomplishments throughout the year. We provide tea, coffee, and a small lunch. With entertainment, silent auction, fashion show and fun arts and craft projects organized by local Brownie Troops for the young girls.

More than 30% of families requesting shelter are denied services because there is no space available. If a family can get into shelter the average stay permitted is 30 days. Parents have thirty days to overcome their problems, find housing, keep their kids in school, seek resources, attend ready to rent classes and find or keep a job. At their best, shelters are not places for kids to be happy, well-adjusted, or geared toward success. Trying to do homework is hard when there is no one with time or energy to help. Homeless kids often miss school and get behind. Some give up: not just on school, they just give up. Our purpose is to provide children with a stable, supportive environment that promotes both their personal and academic growth. We combine character education with a curriculum that helps students succeed and develop their individual strengths.

Founded in 1990, we serve over 200 children every year. Our average daily enrollment is 70 to 80 students. We're a registered private school and an independent 501c (3) non-profit organization. Our students range in age from 4 to 14 and come from families living in the city of Portland, Oregon, and parts of East Multnomah County.

At the Community Transitional School we focus on helping these children learn to break the successive chain of homelessness in their family. We provide flexible transportation to and from school, two nutritious meals each school day, new clothing and personal hygiene items, new school supplies, special field trips and activities, regular health screenings, and volunteers and mentors to help these

April 14, 2008

Community Transitional School Sponsorship Letter & Packages

Monica is in our 2nd-5th grade classroom, She is picked up every day by our school bus from her mothers car in an abandoned parking lot in SE Portland. Monica is the youngest of four children, but she has a passion for learning. As soon as she gets to school, Monica is the first in line for breakfast. As she patiently waits for one of the two meals she will have all day, she sets an example for the other children by saying please and thank you. Monicas favorite part of her week is when she gets to read to Marsha, one of the schools volunteers.

Principal and lead teacher, Cheryl Bickle says, For our students, school is a refuge from the trauma and hardships of poverty and uncertaintya place where they feel a sense of community and belonging. This is a place where they have room to learn, laugh with friends and build hope.

Apart from instability and uncertainty, the one constant in their lives is the Community Transitional School, an oasis where they can learn, grow, thrive and even dream. The more time children spend at the school the more we can help them along the path to becoming self-sufficient and productive members of whatever communities they eventually end up in.

Last year the school raised $28,000, the most weve raised to date, and this profit went to help send our students to outdoor school. We believe with the contribution of Macys sponsoring the Mom & Me Tea we can work toward contributing positively to our communities to create a positive learning environment for our local homeless children. This year profits will fund a computer lab in our new facility, which is in the finishing stages of being built.

Through your sponsorship you will gain access to a targeted audience of women in the middle to upper class. These women donate to at least one charitable organization a year and live in new housing developments. They shop at grocery stores like Safeway and Whole Foods and drink Starbucks daily. These women are homemakers and sit on either a non-profit committee or an educational committee for their children. Their daughters are happy vivacious young women looking to explore and learn more about the world. These 4-11 year-old girls love to play outside but also love their pink party dresses and putting on their mothers pearls. As the number of volunteers in non-profits begins to decline we must turn to the new generation to support and continue our organizations thriving and moving forward. These young girls are the generation to target and educate on giving back to the community through events such as the Mom & Me Tea.

The estimated audience of 200 mothers and their daughters from the Portland metropolitan area the Community Transitional School would benefit tremendously from your generosity. Please look at the attached sponsorship package to evaluate where Macys believes it can contribute the most. We would also like to extend the opportunity for Macys to showcase childrens clothing during our 20-minute fashion show during this event. I would be most appreciative of a telephone call to let me know of your interest.You may reach me at 971.226.9510. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for considering this request.

Sincerely,Staci StringerDirector of sponsorship & event outreach

Gold sponsorship $3,000 Fashion Show Runway signageWe offer gold sponsors the opportunity to display business banner as the backdrop of our 20-minute fashion show.

Eight Complementary Admissions to EventWe would like to invite eight employees and their daughters to join us at a reserved table for your business in celebrating the Community Transitional School for a lovely light lunch and silent auction at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

Signage on Craft and Silent Auction TablesAs the children join Brownie Troops in arts and crafts projects your business is welcome to display centerpieces at the craft tables as well as on the silent auction tables.

Advertisement in Silent Auction Program Gold sponsors have the opportunity to have a full-page advertisement in the Silent Auction program, which is given out to all 200 attendees.

Logo in Thank You letter to SponsorsYour businesses logo will be featured in our thank you letter to all auction winners, sponsors, and board members.

Thank You on Web siteWe will have a page dedicated to the Mom & Me Tea on the Community Transitional School Web site, and we will recognize all silver sponsors on this page.

Silver sponsorship $1,500Four Complimentary Admissions to EventWe would like to invite four employees and their daughters to join us at a reserved table for your business in celebrating the Community Transitional School for a lovely light lunch and silent auction at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

Half-page Advertisement in Silent Auction ProgramSilver sponsors have the opportunity to have a half-page advertisement in the silent auction program, which is given out to all 200 attendees.

Logo in Thank You letter to sponsorsYour business logo will be featured in our thank you letter to all auction winners, sponsors, and board members.

Thank You on Web siteWe will have a page dedicated to the Mom & Me Tea on the Community Transitional School Web site, and we will recognize all silver sponsors on this page.

Bronze sponsorship $750Two Complimentary Admissions to EventWe would like to invite two employees and their daughters to join us at a reserved table for your business in celebrating the Community Transitional School for a lovely light lunch and silent auction at the Multnoman Athletic Club.

Business Recognition in Auction ProgramAll of our bronze sponsors will be recognized on the final page of the silent auction program.

Logo in Thank You letter to sponsorsYour businesses logo will be featured in our Thank You letter to all auction winners, sponsors and board members.

Sponsorship Packages