Important Note: On January 2nd 2026, you may have received one or more emails purportedly from Homework Central titled “test.” They were not sent by us, and we sincerely apologize. It looks like someone’s account was hacked to generate this from the application we use to create newsletters. Please know that this problem has been fixed and should not happen again. Legitimate mass emails from Homework Central will always have the words “Newsletter” or “Save the Date,” or the name of our Fundraising event, or something descriptive relating to our work, and will come from this email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
|
|
|
What are you doing on April 25th, 2026? Come Celebrate with Us!!
Saturday April 25th, 2026, 4:30 – 7:00 pm The San Mateo Senior Center
2645 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo CA 94403 Stay tuned for details on our events page
https://www.homework-central.org/nht Event Information | Ofelia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tickets will be available from January 25th Can’t make our event? Please consider a donation in honor of Homework Central’s celebration
and fundraiser. |
|
|
|
Diane Russell believes in the power of local organizations to effect change through direct impact on people in the local community. And that it is important to try to make a difference at a young age to set kids up for a positive future. Homework Central aligns with both those beliefs. She says, “I am inspired by the work Homework Central does to support young students who are part of families that are struggling financially in one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S. The young people served by Homework Central have a lot of potential and with resources and support, they can thrive.”
|
|
|
Diane received a BA in Government from Smith College and an MBA from Stanford GSB. With varied work experience in government (first for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC, then for the Governor of New Jersey) as well as in the corporate world at Charles Schwab — and an equally varied experience on nonprofit boards and volunteering, she brings a formidable skill set to the Homework Central board.
As a member of Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo (UUSM), Diane has served on their Finance Committee (until 2024) and Stewardship Committee (present). She is the current Board Chair for WANDA (Women and Allies), which advances socioeconomic mobility for striving single mothers and their families. One important past nonprofit board experience of Diane’s was over a decade of board membership at Building Futures Now (BFN), an East Palo Alto based college access organization supporting low-income students. As a part of a 3-person merger team, she managed the merger of BFN with Peninsula Bridge in 2017 — both nonprofits were aligned on their mission and work.
A warm welcome to Diane as she joins the HWC board! |
|
|
Clockwise from top: Sweatshirts to select, Assistance League San Mateo volunteers incl. Maureen Borland with student (Fall 2025), Books Operation School Bell
We partnered yet again with our dear friends at the Assistance League of San Mateo on “Operation School Bell.” On different dates, students at each of our four schools came to select outfits — the consensus among them was that the clothes were very stylish and it felt like a shopping trip with their parents, where they got to try on and select their outfits!
Besides clothes, they received backpacks with school supplies.
Our Assistance League partners, led by Maureen Borland, staffed the events with their volunteers to make all this happen, and on behalf of our students, families, and Homework Central, we express our deepest thanks! |
Literacy-Themed Family Night Homework Central hosted a Literacy themed Family Night in December at Kloss Hall, CCSM (Congregational Church of San Mateo).
Complete with a healthy salad and pasta dinner, the bilingual evening was a chance for our board and staff to connect in a social setting with our students’ families. Our guest speaker for the evening, HWC board member Liz Sanchez Santiago, spoke eloquently in English and Spanish of her growing up with support systems similar to Homework Central at school and college, and how her hard work made her the first generation in her family to graduate from college — attending both UC Berkeley and Stanford Law School. She drew a direct connection between the mentorship and support she received with her current career in a prestigious law firm. It was very motivational for families and children who listened with rapt attention; families are often grateful for the “daycare until 6 pm” that eases their burden of ensuring that their children are in a safe space, but do not always see the long-term academic impact of our work on their child’s future.
The evening included of a literacy themed activity followed by another highly anticipated activity, with all the children in the families selecting and taking home books.There were also rain ponchos given away — very timely for families, given the wet winter we had.
Our heartfelt thanks to our kind collaborators UUSM (Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo) and ALSM (Assistance League of San Mateo) who, between them, donated about 150 new and almost-new books, and the rain ponchos. Clockwise from top left: HWC board and staff getting ready to serve dinner, literacy-themed activity, student with book selection, students choosing books. |
|
|
Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}*
*{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}* |
|
Homework Central is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization | Tax ID 94-3368576 |
|
|
|
