PEP January 2026 Newsletter

January often encourages us to look ahead and plan for the year to come, but it is also a wonderful time to pause and celebrate what we’ve accomplished together. We are so grateful for the meaningful connections built, the encouragement shared with schools, and the tangible support provided; it’s support that truly made a difference for students, educators, and school communities.

Here are a few things that happened in 2025 to support students and educators:

-Generous donors gave over $40,000, which is an increase of over 30% from the previous year!

-Had our first annual PEP fundraiser at the Westport Conservatory, raising over $10,000.

-Awarded a $6,000 grant from the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund via the North Valley Community Foundation to help local school Wellness Centers.

-Received a $5,000 donation from The Allstate Foundation, in conjunction with local Allstate agents.

-We provided encouragement, treats, and classroom and school resources to over 30 schools in Chico Unified, Biggs Unified, Oroville City Elementary, and Paradise Unified school districts.

We are grateful for the generous support of local businesses and organizations, including the Kevin Baker Allstate Agency, Digitalresults.tech, Busy Balance, LifeChurch Chico, Donut Tree in Oroville, Wakefield Real Estate, The Hignell Company, Klean Kanteen, Enloe Health, Dajuco Vineyards, Jubilee Church, Maven and Company, The Cookie Shoppe, and the local Buffalo Wild Wings franchise. Many of these partners went above and beyond by offering discounted products or donating goods and resources, allowing us to extend our impact even further.

As we look ahead to the final five months of the school year, we are excited to continue expanding our reach by visiting at least 20 of the more than 90 schools across Butte County, providing meaningful support for their Wellness Centers.

We are also looking at expanding our base of supporters through articles in local publications. A big thanks goes to fellow retired educator, Mark Davis, a former English teacher who has helped immensely in spreading the word about what PEP is doing to impact students and educators.

If you are interested in partnering with us to help students reach their full potential and to ensure educators feel supported by their community, please email me at Todd@pepschools.org. We are sincerely grateful for your generosity, which makes this work possible.

Bridge Builder,

Todd

P.S. I truly appreciate the thoughtful notes of gratitude and the kind words about the impact PEP is making. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested in supporting our mission in any way, or if you would like to help share our work with others who may be interested in joining us.

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