Announcement

Builders Care Austin Donates $8,000 to Provide Chromebook Charging Carts After Classroom Fire One Day Prior to Back to School

Thanks to you, our loyal donors, Builders Care was able to use cash-on-hand to donate $8000 to help supply teachers at Kealing Middle School with urgently needed charging carts for their students’ school-provided Chromebook computers. Chromebooks are the main technology used at Kealing and across AISD (cheaper than laptops, but essentially serve the same purpose). Every classroom teacher has their curriculum and homework on the Chromebooks along with engaging software subscriptions based on the class (like the foreign language teachers often use other websites to enrich their classroom lessons). The Chromebooks are also the way all students take the STAAR tests and other tests and quizzes throughout the year.

Kealing has decided to keep the Chromebooks in the classrooms this year instead of assigning one to each child and having them be responsible for it all year–a system which did not work well for many reasons. But keeping the computers in-house every night presented a problem: How do you charge all 30 computers overnight? It is thought that overloading the circuits was what caused the two recent fires Kealing has suffered this year.

According to Tiffany Cross, the Kealing Middle School PTA president: “The charging carts have built in surge protection and only take 1 outlet and manage distribution of power amongst all 30 devices inside. This will eliminate the inevitable problem of teachers using multiple extension cords and outlet expanders to try to fit 30 plugs into their existing outlets.”

Because you, our donors, have exceeded our goals in each funding drive we have undertaken, and because BCA had a two successful fundraising events and received gifts from donors who saw the benefit of BCA having cash on hand for moving quickly when urgent community needs arise, we were able to move swiftly in meeting this need.

As Kealing’s principal, Timothy Estes, said, “On behalf of the entire Kealing Middle School community, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Builders Care Austin for your incredible generosity and commitment to our students and staff. Thanks to your generous donation and quick response, we will be able to purchase essential devices to safely charge classroom Chromebooks. Your support is not just a financial gift but a powerful investment in the educational experiences of our students. BCA’s generosity is helping to shape a brighter future for our students.” And thank you, our donors, for making this gift possible. We would like to continue having reserves on hand to meet these types of urgent needs as they arise. Please consider giving again to Builders Care to help replenish our funds (and/or join our monthly giving program), so we can continue giving back to the communities in which we build.

Builders Care is a 501C3 recognized by the IRS. All contributions are tax deductible.

By Supporting BCA you are helping build a better Austin for us all.

To make an online donation, please visit https://builderscareaustin.com/donate

Builders Care is a 501C3 recognized by the IRS. All contributions are tax deductible.

For more information concerning Builders Care Austin, please contact ed.ishmael@ilawpc.com.

For more information concerning Builders Care Austin, please contact ed.ishmael@ilawpc.com.

For more information concerning Builders Care Austin, please contact ed.ishmael@ilawpc.com.

Through Builders Care Austin, local infill builders and associated trades raised over $8,500 to help the 130 low-income Blackshear Elementary families afford back-to-school supplies. Builders Care Austin has raised funds for the award-winning Blackshear Elementary in the past, which were allocated toward paying down student lunch debt, the after-school tutoring program, and providing masks for food service workers during the pandemic.
This year Blackshear Elementary’s Principal, Tiona Bell, provided Builders Care with a list by grade of the supplies each student needs for the school year, which came to an average cost of a staggering $215 per student. Builders Care Austin’s initial goal was to raise $5,000, which would provide 100 families with $50 gift cards for backto school expenses. However, in a matter of 36 hours $8,500 was raised, which allowed for a total of 130 families to receive $65 gift cards for school supplies.

“Each Builders Care gift card allows a family to buy food, clothing, and much-needed supplies. It also gives each family a choice in buying what is needed for their specific family. Our community always appreciates the incredibly generous support from Builders Care.  Thank you for helping our students succeed.”–Tiona Bell, Principal, Blackshear Elementary

Builders Care Austin presented the gift cards to the school on August 18th, 2023 at Blackshear Elementary School.
Builders Care Austin is extremely appreciative of its members who are always willing to help the community and, along with the Austin Infill Coalition, believe in empowering the communities within which we work. Infill builders deliver housing inside the city in existing neighborhoods near job centers, which is easier on the environment than suburban building and less of a strain on the municipal budget since infill building optimizes existing infrastructure in city service areas.

If you would like to know more about the Austin Infill Coalition, please contact 512infill@gmail.com. For more information concerning Builders Care Austin, please contact ed.ishmael@ilawpc.com.

Builders Care Austin’s Board is excited to announce our next giving effort:

Beneficiary: Blackshear Elementary, a National Blue-Ribbon School, is a minority-majority school in an evolving historically low income area of East Austin
Amount Raised: $10,000.00
Purpose: Direct funding of the After-School Tutoring Program for struggling students

Builders Care, set an initial goal of $5,000 to pay for 75 students to get tutoring in an after-school tutoring program for one semester. In less than 36 hours, Builders Care Austin blew past that initial goal and raised the target to $10,000, which it then reached in only 48 hours from the initial ask.

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Thanks to your generous donations earlier this year, Builders Care Austin is providing 43 Blackshear Elementary families with $50 HEB gift cards.

“Austin builders are thankful for the opportunities this city has provided us, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give back,” said Ed Ishmael, chairperson of Builders Care. “This is just onemore example of how Austin’s builders continue to support the communities in which we build.”

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Austin, Texas, May 12, 2020 – Builders Care Austin Delivers 5,000 Facial Masks to AISD Food-Service Workers

Responding to an immediate need of the Austin Independent School District, Builders Care Austin (BCA), successfully delivered 5,000 facial masks, to be used by food workers in the daily distribution of free meals for at-risk and low-income students.

Once BCA learned of this situation, it was able to team with the Austin Infill Coalition (AIC) to source, fund, and deliver the much-needed masks in ten days. Previously, the AISD workers had been using improvised personal-protection equipment, including bandanas, to protect both themselves and those picking up meals, from the Covid-19 virus.

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Local Austin infill builders raised $10,000 to help pay off the lunch debts of Austin ISD students. This effort by the Austin Infill Coalition was spearheaded by Ed Ishmael—a local lawyer and developer who builds houses on Austin’s east side.

“While our members are already contributing to our city in various ways, we wanted to find a way, as a group, to give back to this City we all love and to the communities in which we build. Paying off student lunch debt seemed perfect for our first effort,” states Mr. Ishmael who formed the non-profit “Builders Care Austin” as a vehicle for philanthropy from the infill building community.

Austin ISD allows students to buy their lunches on credit.  Austin ISD will be receiving the Builders Care check at a presentation Tuesday, May 8, at Blackshear Elementary, at 12:30 PM.

“We are so grateful to Builders Care Austin for their generosity and support of our students.  This is huge,” said AISD’s Executive Director of Food Services and Warehouse Operations Anneliese Tanner. “We estimate this $10,000 will pay for 3,400 student lunches and reduce the districtwide student lunch debt considerably.”

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