2008 Toddlers Of Mercer Island (TOMI)

Have you been to TOMI yet? By the time you read this, we will have completed our first two months of this new program and so far we are going strong with many island families attending each week! Thank you to all the moms (and dads and caregivers) who have come out on Tuesday mornings to have a cup of coffee or tea and chat with friends while our little ones play! If you haven’t been yet, please join us for a Tuesday soon, it is a great morning out for you and your little guys and gals! This exciting new program will be the perfect meeting place for your Tuesday mornings!! Each week the toddler time will include:

• Craft – a new craft each week especially for toddlers that they will be able to bring home and enjoy
• Tactile Learning Stations including water tables, Puzzles, and play-doh
• Activities such as ride-ons, bounce house and gym-mats
• Story time and songs
• Delicious & healthy snacks and juice for the little ones
• Coffee and friendship for the grown-ups

“Give From the Heart” Campaign for MI Preschooler Scholarships

February is a time to think about loved ones and give from your heart. MIPA and your preschool community are asking each of our 900 families to unite in helping to raise money for 10+ children currently living on Mercer Island who are not able to attend preschool.

These children are right here, in our community. Typically, they can be children whose parents suddenly face a spouse’s death or major illness and lose their only paycheck, children whose single mom is escaping domestic violence and starting anew, or children who have recently moved from outside the U.S. In the past, many of these families have opted to keep their children at home instead of attending school. As a preschool parent, you recognize the value of preschool preparing your child for a successful start in life. Please can you consider giving that same healthy start to perhaps one of your child’s classmates?

For almost two decades, MIPA has been the sole funding source for preschool scholarships that are administered efficiently and discreetly by MI Youth & Family Services. Preschool tuition costs have risen and yes, the number of requests has risen as well. The average Mercer Island preschool tuition cost is roughly $3,500 a year. MIPA is turning to the preschool community to help its own and meet our community’s preschool scholarship funding goal of $15,000. It is our hope that this $15,000 will help in partially funding these children’s education.

The “Give from the Heart” will end February 28th. Donations in any amount, and all corporate matching funds, are greatly appreciated. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. A heart-warming thanks for giving to this worthy cause.

Please mail your donations to MIPA, earmark it: ‘Give from the Heart”, and mail to POB 464, Mercer Island, WA 98040, or use our online donation through Paypal, simply click this paypal button: