Port St. Lucie, August 12, 2009 – Press Release
Port St. Lucie, FL - On Saturday, August 29, Iduka Corporation will hold its inaugural “Little Black Dress Party for College Affordability” event in Port St. Lucie to bring members of the community together to show support for college students with varying financial needs. The event will take place in Saint Lucie West at Elements Martini Bar, 2096 NW Courtyard Circle, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986.
Online registration is available at http://www.iduka.citymax.com/events1.html. Pre-registered participants will pay $5 at the door, all other attendees without RSVP will pay $10 donation for entry. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Drink specials and finger food will be served until 10:00 p.m. Ladies in black dresses are eligible to win prizes! Ladies get one free drink. Please register early, as space is limited!
Iduka Corporation is a non-profit organization that has a pending application for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Our mission is to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based micro-loan program.
Our goal is to provide students and their families one more financial tool to help them in their pursuit of higher education. We make this possible by offering an innovative plan based in a Web-based micro-lending system that connects students with lenders, and incorporates, whenever possible, student volunteerism as a mean for students to pay back their loans.
Media contact:
Darlene Craddock
darlene.craddock@iduka.org
772-284-6455
www.iduka.org
www.iduka.citymax.com
www.facebook.com/iduka.microloans
A couple weeks ago we were asked by OFA if we had in our community a positive story to highlight the first 100 days in office of President Barack Obama, and here in Saint Lucie County, Florida, we do. We started organizing and holding regular meetings right after the elections.
Within days of the President’s call to service, a small planning group was formed to help with the President’s vision to bring hope to thousands of college students in our communities and the group’s mission was outlined to provide an outlet for active citizenship in the area of college affordability.
On April 11, 2009 a new non-profit organization, Iduka, was incorporated in the state of Florida.
Iduka was created to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based interest free micro-loan program.
Students may also qualify for a loan to grant conversion. In such cases students can pay off their loans by volunteering in their communities if Iduka can secure enough donations to cover such loan to grant conversions. A student enrolled in a Health Care Program at the local community college, can, if matching funds are available, convert an Iduka micro-loan into a grant by volunteering at a local hospital or community hospice.
In addition to a few professionals that have already provided pro bono services, we currently have a group of 10 local volunteers working hard to make this project a reality. This commitment and enthusiasm is a direct result of President Obama’s call to bring change to our communities, country, and the world.
Iduka is currently seeking seed money start operations and fulfill its mission. We are also actively recruiting members to serve on the Board of Directors, particularly individuals with a background in Law and Finance.
Please feel free to contact Miguel Martim (772) 380-4883 or Joan Barnes (772) 871-9104 in case you need any further information and/or would like to partner with Iduka. You can also visit us online at www.iduka.org
“Change Is Coming”
Meeting Minutes
Saturday, December 13, 2008.
The first meeting of the Port St. Lucie, Saint Lucie West “Change Is Coming” group began at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at the home of Miguel Martim. 12 people attended the meeting. As attendees arrived, each person filled out a sign-in sheet that provided the individual’s name, address, telephone number, issues of interest, and occupation. Miguel said that that information would be provided to the national Obama For America headquarters in Chicago. Grant agreed to take minutes for the meeting.
The meeting began by having each attendee briefly introduce him/herself. After introductions, the group discussed its primary goal for the meeting, which was to come up with ideas for one or more community service projects that would take place on or about Inauguration Day (January 20, 2009). After discussion, it was agreed that it would be best for the event(s) to occur after Inauguration Day, due to concerns that Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day festivities would overshadow the group’s community service event(s). It was tentatively decided that the community service event(s) would take place a week after Inauguration Day.
The group then watched a short “Change Is Coming” video provided by the Obama For America team coordinating these house parties taking place this weekend across the nation.
After watching the video, the group resumed discussing the January 2009 community service project(s). It was decided that three options would be pursued – (1) an event with an animal shelter; (2) an event involving a soup kitchen; and (3) a holiday party for kids. Grant agreed to contact individuals at animal shelters. Dennis agreed to look into the soup kitchen idea. Marcia agreed to look into the holiday event idea.
It was tentatively decided that the group would hereafter be known as “Treasure Coast Citizens for Change.” Further discussion will follow during next meeting before making final decision on group’s official name.
The group then discussed in greater detail issues that were of particular interest to various members. Some of the issues discussed were: economy, health care, foreclosures, education, and equal/human rights. After much discussion, it was decided that it would be best to discuss the various issues in greater depth at a later meeting.
The group then selected people to handle the following responsibilities:
Grant agreed to be the government relations specialist, who would ascertain the names and contact information for the area’s political representatives. Sal agreed to be the public relations specialist, who would reach out to the media on the group’s behalf. Albert agreed to be the community relations specialist, who would reach out to various community groups to get their in-put while at the same time publicizing the group’s goals.
It was decided that all future group meetings (except for January 2009) would be held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. The January 2009 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on January 13th. All meetings will be held at Miguel Martim’s house, unless specified otherwise.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:30 p.m.
