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ABOUT THE FOUNDATIONThe Tesori Family Foundation was founded in 2009 by former PGA TOUR player and current PGA TOUR caddie, Paul Tesori along with his then fiancee (now proud wife) Michelle, to give back to those in need in the Northeast Florida community. In early 2014, after the much anticipated arrival of baby Isaiah (and his extra special extra chromosome!), the foundation expanded to give back not only in Paul’s hometown community, but
throughout the United States, adding specific programming for children with special needs. Having always had hearts committed to giving back, the Tesoris began by selecting several charities to support throughout the year, with focuses ranging from childhood homelessness to battered women’s shelters, from children battling disease like cancer to animal rescue charities like the Jacksonville Humane Society. With a passion for all things human and pet, the Tesoris can be found at just about any charity event in the area, especially those that are specifically designed to benefit children.
MISSIONTo achieve great things for God by lending a helping hand, providing hope and healing hearts for children.
VISIONTo make a positive change in the lives of children, in both our local community and the communities touched by the PGA TOUR, one child at a time, so that the children we touch with our faith and love will continue the cycle of hope for future generations. Our goal is to leave a legacy of love for generations to come.
A LETTER FROM THE TESORIS Growing up over 1,000 miles apart, Michelle and I shared a passion for giving back long before we ever met. As great as that passion is, our passion for Jesus is even greater. In 2009 we established the Tesori Family Foundation to share the love and grace we’ve received from God to the people in our community in need. After much prayer, we determined that the best use of our resources would be to strive daily through the foundation to achieve one unified mission: to achieve great things for God by lending a helping hand, providing hope and healing hearts for children.
In its first several years, our foundation gave back to causes and charities that were near and dear to our hearts, including those that served the homeless community, particularly those that served children, our local seniors community and agencies that serve and protect our pets. Our charitable giving was primarily focused here in my hometown area of St. Augustine/Jacksonville, FL, but we felt God calling us to do more. Much more. We just didn’t know what or how. But God did.
On January 4th, 2014, our son Isaiah was born. While his Isaiah with Mom & Dad in the NICU entrance to the world wasn’t quite what we expected, and at times we weren’t sure how long God was going to let us borrow precious Isaiah here on earth, his arrival glorified God’s perfect plan. After a much shorter-than-expected stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that defied all odds, our sweet baby boy was diagnosed with Down syndrome (an extra copy of the 21st chromosome) and joined a very excited Mommy, Daddy, big sister and puppy at home. Isaiah’s birth story was picked up by our friends at the Golf Channel as well as CBS and shared with the world, and what we’ve been witness to over the past few years is just how many lives God has touched through Isaiah’s story.
In the first days and weeks of Isaiah’s arrival, Michelle and I felt the Holy Spirit clearly at work in our hearts. There was no longer any wonder about what or how we would give back more. In particular, I kept coming back to the same verse over and over again. It’s in John 9. Jesus is walking down the road with his disciples and he sees a blind man. The disciples ask him what caused this man to be blind. They’re looking for a CAUSE. They go so far as to ask Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). But that’s not how Jesus answers. Jesus doesn’t tell the disciples WHY this man is blind, or HOW he became blind. Instead, he replies with the PURPOSE.
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
~ John 9:3
We knew the purpose for Isaiah’s diagnosis. It was so clear to us. We are to use this diagnosis and our journey through it, with it, to glorify God. Our foundation expanded its existing programs with some extra programming designed to specifically benefit the special needs community. We held our second All-Star Kids Clinic this past summer, a golf clinic for kids with special needs, which will expand here to our hometown at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2016. In February, we partnered for the second year in a row with former Gator & NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and his foundation to co-host Night to Shine, an incredible prom night experience held in over 200 locations in 8 countries for kids and adults with special needs. And let’s not forget our flagship Buddy Baskets program, designed to help new moms and dads (and siblings!) of kiddos with a Down syndrome diagnosis CELEBRATE the birth of their new addition.
We couldn’t be happier God asked us to walk this journey. We’ve met the most incredible people along the way, and we’ve only just begun. We hope you’ll consider joining us, whether it be through prayer, through volunteering your time or through financial support, to help us achieve our mission.
Blessings and our endless thanks,
Paul Tesori Tesori Family Foundation
Join us in celebrating each child born with Down syndrome in Northeast Florida by filling our Buddy Baskets with new parent essentials! Through strong partnerships in the community, each family will receive a Buddy Basket filled with snacks, baby toys, restaurant gift cards, onesies, soft blankets, baby videos and prayer books upon birth. On average, 30-35 children are born each year in Northeast Florida with Down syndrome and we aim to celebrate the happiest extra chromosome alongside each special family with your help!
Since 2014, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Wyndham Worldwide, Wyndham Championship, and First Tee of the Triad to host a golf clinic for 25 children with special needs in Greensboro, NC. It’s an amazing afternoon filled with smiles, laughter, and some serious golf skills on the practice greens! Deserving children teach us so much about what it means to share pure joy for not only the game of golf, but simply life. In 2016, we proudly added the Tesori’s hometown of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL to coincide with The PLAYERS Championship.
Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience hosted by the Tim Tebow Foundation, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages 16 and older. On one night, February 12, 2016, more than 200 host churches in 48 states and 7 countries hosted Night to Shine. More thank 70,000 volunteers and 32,000 Kings and Queens shared the same amazing prom experience on the same night around the world. Together, we partnered to crown each Queen with a sparkling tiara and hosted the crowd favorite, Karaoke Room, at the Night to Shine at Christ’s Church in Jacksonville, FL. It was a Night to Shine we’ll never forget.
We visit our favorite local senior center, Arbor Terrace, a local memory care facility, once a month to share smiles and hugs with our senior residents & show our elders we are thankful We know the days outside of major holidays can be the especially lonely, so our foundation’s closest friends and volunteers bring sweets, board games, sing-alongs and lots of smiles year-round. All ages are welcomed to volunteer – young children with BIG smiles espeically encouraged. Can’t wait for you to light up some faces with Isaiah’s Smiles!
15-20 deserving students from the St. John’s County Homeless program receive brand new laptops each summer following their high school senior graduation through our annual ASSIST Laptop Celebration. All students will start freshman year of college or serve in the military in the fall following their high school graduation. We are honored to support these young adults who overcome homelessness and are committed to success.
We’re committed to giving back to those in need year-round, but we find a special gift in giving to those in need over the holidays. Each holiday season, we adopt 20+ special families through the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County (ESHC). ESHC offers transitional housing for families struggling with homelessness wanting to help themselves. Participant parent(s) must seek job training, employment, continuing education, assessment counseling and permanent housing. We help these families celebrate Christmas without the burden of the cost.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
CONTACT US
Michelle Tesori
Co-Founder
727-501-6767 (cell)
Kate Fraser
Program Coordinator
904-616-1383 (cell)
web:
www.tesorifamilyfoundation.org
facebook:
www.facebook.com/tesorifamilyfoundation
twitter:
@tesorifamilyfdt
