Today we honor and express our deep gratitude to our newest Gold Level sponsor of Jazz Outreach Initiative, P.E.O. Las Vegas Chapter Y!
P.E.O. is known as the Philanthropic Educational Organization and was founded in 1869 by seven Iowa Wesleyan College students as a bond of friendship and is one of the oldest women’s philanthropic organizations in the U.S. P.E.O. has more than 6,000 chapters across the United States including 37 Nevada chapters. Nevada’s chapters now include more than 1,400 active members, including Chapter Y in Las Vegas. To learn more about P.E.O. Nevada, visit www.peonv.org.
Chapter member, Peggy Thompson introduced JOI to her group several months ago and donations have been coming in over that period. On September 8, 2021, Executive Director Donny Thompson was invited to speak at their September meeting about JOI’s many programs. The group included many retired teachers who understand the value of the work JOI does in the community. Chapter Y’s individual gifts received at this meeting put the group’s cumulative sponsorship at just over $1,500 for the year.
Additionally, one member donated a violin and a clarinet and pledged an upright piano to be offered to disadvantaged and system-impacted youth identified for our Jazz Routes program launching this fall. Jazz Routes will provide these children with a free instrument and one year’s worth of free music lessons to learn how to play it. Both instrument donations and financial gifts for lessons will provide JOI the ability to sustain this valuable program for our community's children.
JOI thanks P.E.O. Las Vegas Chapter Y for its generosity and purpose in supporting our mission.