The Michael Aymar Foundation kicks off another season of giving by awarding their 2020 NASHDO Scholarships to students of Our Lady of the Lake in Verona and St. Thomas the Apostle in Bloomfield.
The Michael Aymar Foundation (“MAF”) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in April 2016 that honors Michael Aymar, a former English teacher who taught middle school students in New Jersey Catholic schools for over 22 years.
Since their launch in April of 2016, The Michael Aymar Foundation has awarded 10 “NASHDO” Scholarships for a total of $47,500, demonstrating their impressive impact in the community. Their mission is to provide scholarships for middle school students enrolled in Catholic schools whose families have been affected by adversity related to death, sickness, or job loss. NASHDO derives its name from one of the fun ways Mr. Aymar helped his students remember that”Not All Sentences Have Direct Objects.”
This year’s Ambassadors are Brandon Peppinghaus, a 6th grader at St. Thomas the Apostle in Bloomfield, and Aidan Minotti, a 5th grader at Our Lady of the Lake in Verona. The two middle school students join the MAF family as their newest ambassadors and are each being awarded a $5,000 NASHDO Scholarship.
“This year COVID has created unprecedented challenges and we could not be more humbled to answer the prayers of two deserving families. My favorite time of the year is when I share the news with the families, as I feel that helping these young students is the best way to honor the spirit of my brother” said Mia Aymar-Smith, Founding Board member and Fundraising Chair.
“We are pleased to be reaching out to additional schools and deepening our roots with Our Lady of the Lake in Verona, a school that I not only attended but one where my father taught me as well. The more families that know about our Foundation’s work, the better our outreach becomes,” said Peter Aymar, Vice President of The Michael Aymar Foundation.
In spite of COVID, the Michael Aymar Foundation is in a position to enrich the lives of families who believe in the value of faith-based education. Their commitment to education is fueled by the passion Mr. Aymar had for teaching middle school students. He would often say “I get paid to teach them, but to really reach them I must love them too. They look to me for guidance in ways that go beyond the textbooks and we must never forget that we teach our children, whether we want to or not.”
The restrictions imposed by COVID have not allowed them to have their annual fundraising event where the students are introduced to donors and supporters in person. However, they eagerly await for that personal connection to be possible, as they believe it sets the stage for their incredible story to be shared by their ambassadors directly.
They invite those interested in learning more about their work and connecting with them to visit www.michaelaymarfoundation.org and consider contributing to their cause during their year-end giving.
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