SCHOOL CHOICE SCHOLARSHIPS

Family #1

“We have two daughters who are in 1st grade and Kindergarten. I just wanted to take a minute and express how grateful my family is to have received the Empower Illinois Grant so our daughters are able to come to St. John Lutheran School. We are a military family so we move around a lot.

Due to us not moving to Great Lakes until April of 2019, we had to attend a different school here and I was so upset most of the year about the school and I looked up private schools in the area and came across St. John Lutheran School. I came in and met Mr. Woldt and he gave me a tour of the school and I met some of the teachers. After this meeting, I knew in my heart this school was the perfect fit for our daughters and our family. We spoke about prices and having two children that would be attending this school and my husband being the sole provider for our family we could not afford to send them here. Mr. Woldt told me about the Empower Illinois Grant and thankfully when the time came we applied and were blessed to get this grant!

I want to thank everyone that has donated and plans to donate in the future. This is such a great program to donate to because this gives families the opportunity to put their children in a great school where they learn about God, and the Bible. The teachers, staff, and curriculum are amazing. Because of the donations to St. John Lutheran, our daughters are getting a chance at an amazing education and learn about God, a chance that they would not have had if it wasn't for the donations to this amazing school.

When I received the email that we got the Empower Illinois grant for both our daughters I cried tears of joy! I didn't know anyone that donated but I prayed to the good Lord above that he could somehow let everyone know how grateful my family is to get this grant. This would not have happened if it wasn't for all the generous, selfless, kind-hearted people who want to give families like ours the opportunity to attend the school of their dreams for their children!

From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank everyone that has donated and even the ones that plan to donate in the future. Your making dreams come true by giving children the opportunity at an amazing education at St. John Lutheran School. May God Bless you and your families!”

Family #2

“I am writing this letter to thank you for your generous scholarship. My son and I were very happy and appreciative to learn that he was selected as the recipient of your scholarship. Without your gift this would not have happened. It has been a blessing that he is able to attend St. John. He has really benefited from the school. St. John has given my son a better education and more importantly, he is learning about Jesus.

I am deeply appreciative of your donation. I'm humbled and grateful in a way that words can't explain. This is the best blessing I could have received for my son and for his future. Because of your generosity my son will be able to achieve many goals and now has a brighter future as he grows in knowledge, wisdom and faith. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this blessing of a Christian education for my son.”

Family #3

“As recipients of and donors for the Empower Illinois scholarship here at St. John, I can truly say that our family has been “doubly blessed.” We have two boys at St. John this year (kindergarten and 2nd grade) both of whom have special needs and have received scholarships from this program. I cannot imagine having to send my children to a different school.

At St. John, my kids are blessed with loving (and patient) teachers, a personalized education based on their special needs, and most importantly the opportunity to learn about how Jesus saved them from their sins! We truly appreciate those who have helped fund these scholarships and would like to say “thank you” to all the donors. Christian education and the opportunity to be a part of the “St. John family” are some of the greatest gifts for our children.

For the past two years, we have also been blessed by God with the ability to be donors for scholarships so that other children can experience the blessings of St. John. It's wonderful to be an active part of the evangelism role in our school and see the immediate effect. The donation process was simple and will also be a blessing in the form of a tax credit of 75%. Once again, we have been doubly blessed and pray that this program can also be a blessing to you, whether in the form of a scholarship or the opportunity to share Jesus with the “little children.”

Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.””

Family #4

“I want to start by expressing the highest amount of gratitude for the scholarship that my daughter received. It honestly made the difference between her attending the school or not because we didn't know at the time if we would be able to afford the monthly amount. It has shown to be greater than my family could have imagined, this is because my daughter has had a terrible experience with schools since we moved here. It seemed like we were counting down the days until we could get her into a better school. This all became possible through the scholarship that we received. She has a rekindled love for school and learning and it is all in due to the school as a whole. We couldn't imagine not allowing her to go and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you all.”

Family #5

“The tax credit scholarship was an enormous blessing to our family, because we would not have been able to be a part of the school apart from this financial provision. We believe in the mission of St. John and love being a part of the family! It is a joy to discuss with our kids what they’re learning at the school and how to apply it to their life, and it is such a relief to be able to trust who is shaping our children in this critical time.

My wife and I love talking about the school with others and spreading the word to those who are considering private school. We hope to see more and more people joining the St. John family! Thank you again for all the hard work you’ve put into not just the tax credit program, but everything you do to make the school happen. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else besides at St. John!

We hear of so many opportunities to give of our time, talent, and treasures that it can be easy to grow numb to new opportunities. My children are able to attend St. John because of the financial assistance through this program, so I want to thank you for even considering giving towards this opportunity. I pray that this program grows.”

Family #6

“As a single mother of two girls, I am forever grateful to Empower Illinois. Without the scholarship I would not be able to send my kids to a great Christian school I trusted and believed would be the best for them. It is an overwhelming sense of relief to know my kids could continue to receive quality education. It makes a difference in people's lives.”

Family #7

“As the end of this year approaches, our family would like to share a few words of thanks and encouragement for you.

At the beginning of 2020, we learned that our own Lutheran school was closing its doors after struggling financially for several years. We have four girls under the age of 13, so along with the closing of the school, we had some difficult and important decisions to make about our children’s future education. We had to either homeschool our four girls, send them to public school, or try to find a way to afford a private Christian education. With our limited financial resources, we were convinced the last option was not possible.

While praying and sifting through our options, we were informed about scholarship opportunities at St. John’s Lutheran School. We jumped at the chance to see if we qualified and were encouraged to learn about Empower Illinois. After submitting our information, we prayed and waited, then we prayed and waited some more. By July we were offered much hope, three scholarships to St. John’s!

We are now halfway into the 2020-2021 school year. Our girls are doing very well academically and continue to grow spiritually through daily devotions, Bible lessons, and Christian teachers. Our family is thankful for the many people who keep St. John’s Lutheran School in their financial plans, and to those who contribute to Empower Illinois. It is not lost on us the tremendous opportunity that has been given to our family. What an awesome blessing, and what hope for the future!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11”

Family #8

“We would first like to say how much of a blessing it has been. The Invest in Kids program has helped my children academically as well as spiritually. We are very pleased and happy with the program and all it has to offer. To the school staff, we would like to give a huge thank you for the blessing this has been for our family.”