On Wednesday, September 7th, The Katy News was invited to attend the Katy Area Retired Educators meeting held at the Leonard Merrill Center. KARE began its year with well-known businessman and Philanthropist, Jim MacIngvale, affectionately known as “Mattress Mac.”MacIngvale is a Houstonian known for owning and operating the Gallery Furniture retail chain. He is best known for his energetic, fast paced sales pitches, typically ending with some variant of his catch phrase “Saves You Money!” In 2002 he co-authored the book “Always Think Big,” which chronicles the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial career. “Mac” is a big supporter of education throughout the Houston area.
He talked about the crisis news network on television and how if they don’t have a crisis they are sure to get one. He talked about how not showing the problems but to show us the solution. He talked about a book called Abundance and how far we have come in this world. He also talked about how we complain about what happens when our cell phones go down and how 5 years ago there weren’t that many cell phones. “We live in the land of abundance of what the teachers taught. He went on to talk about his life at 28 and how he felt the world owed him a life. The teachers teach the children optimism. To hear more about Mac’s talk click here: https://youtu.be/qC-ZYr8iO6g
Another part of the meeting, What is the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation “A Helping Hand”? “A Helping Hand” provides public education retirees with charitable assistance for a one-time special need or other short-term hardship. The recipients include anyone who is receiving or is eligible to receive an annuity from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). The foundation provides assistance such as financial, medical and dental bills, car and home repairs, energy bills, food and more. If you or someone you know needs assistance contact TRTF at: help@trtf.org or call 1-800-880-1650 for a complete application packet, including guidelines and instructions.
This KARE group will also be adopting two elementary schools, Bear Creek and Sundown Elementary who tested low on the their literacy scores. The group hopes to provide more books for these children and to encourage more children to read. If you wish to assist with this effort please contact one of the KARE members for more information. Follow KARE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KARETX/