The Warrensburg Schools Foundation has announced a $10,000 donation from the Nassif Fund to the Warrensburg R-VI School District to help ensure students have the essentials they need to learn and thrive.
The grant will help the district assist students with needs such as clothing, medical and health-related expenses, school supplies and other necessities that may otherwise create barriers for students. Foundation representatives Judy Long and Bob Lotspeich joined Warrensburg R-VI Superintendent Dr. Steve Ritter on Thursday, Sept. 24, to present the $10,000 grant to the district.
The Nassif Fund has a long history of supporting children in the Warrensburg community. Alex S. Nassif first established a fund for Warrensburg students in 1967, when he gave $10,000 to the Warrensburg School District to assist students with needs including clothing, food, school supplies and medical supplies.
Following his death in 1979, the Alex S. Nassif Perpetual Educational Fund was established to continue his philanthropic work on a larger scale. In January 2016, the Warrensburg Schools Foundation and the trustees of the Alex S. Nassif Trust entered into an agreement to continue the Trust's work on behalf of students in the Warrensburg schools. Through this partnership, the Foundation helps carry forward Nassif's vision of making sure students have access to the basic necessities they need to succeed.
Nassif was a long-time Warrensburg community member and philanthropist. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1899, he came to the United States as a child and eventually made his way to Warrensburg, where he established the New York Shoe Repair Shop on South Holden Street. During World War II, he served his country by making shoes and boots for injured soldiers. After returning to Warrensburg, he continued his business and became known for his generosity to the community. Throughout his life, Mr. Nassif supported numerous local organizations and causes, often giving anonymously. His generosity towards children and the Warrensburg community continues today through the Foundation’s Nassif Fund.
“The Warrensburg Schools Foundation is honored to continue Mr. Nassif’s legacy by helping ensure that students’ basic needs do not stand in the way of their education,” said Judy Long, Foundation Director. “This fund allows the foundation to provide assistance when a student or family needs additional support, continuing the vision Mr. Nassif established decades ago.”
The Warrensburg Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial resources to stimulate learning opportunities for students, teachers and other staff members beyond the scope of the Warrensburg R-VI School District’s regular budget. For more information on the Foundation please visit www.WarrensburgFoundation.org or call Judy Long at (660) 747-7823.
Release courtesy of Warrensburg Schools Foundation.
