Our Story
In the Fall of 2021, Larry and Barbie Potter moved to The Cypress of Raleigh. And with them came the inspiration to develop a fund to provide scholarships to Associates who are furthering their education while working at the Cypress. Larry had already developed comparable funds in two separate communities in which he and Barbie lived – the most recent being Governors Club in Chapel Hill.
Dana Robinson was the first Cypress member to sign on to this inspiring goal. What followed were meetings with Partners, Cypress management and members of the Finance Committee. We learned that although more than two dozen Associates are pursuing educational goals, only full-time Associates receive any benefit, and it is limited to $500 a year. Clearly there was an opportunity to address a need and enhance the benefit of being an Associate at Cypress.
Some Cypress members surveyed eight Life Care Services retirement communities that had both employee appreciation funds and scholarship funds. The goals were to discover if any communities experienced conflicts from having both funds and to identify best practices. What they found was that the two funds did not conflict. With this information, the Cypress Board and Partners endorsed proceeding with the scholarship fund.
In the Spring of 2022 all was ready to move ahead. Fay and Nadine Tolman suggested the name Acorn Scholarship Fund, building on the designation of Raleigh as the City of Oaks. Dana Ethridge helped design the logo. The board of directors was formed. The Partners at Cypress funded the required legal work.
In 2023 the first set of scholarships were awarded to 18 Associates. The Acorn Scholarship Fund is now structured, and ready, to achieve its mission of supporting Associates who seek to advance their education.
The Acorn Scholarship Fund (ASF) is a North Carolina corporation and is recognized as a tax-exempt organization by the IRS. Donations are tax deductible.
Dana Robinson was the first Cypress member to sign on to this inspiring goal. What followed were meetings with Partners, Cypress management and members of the Finance Committee. We learned that although more than two dozen Associates are pursuing educational goals, only full-time Associates receive any benefit, and it is limited to $500 a year. Clearly there was an opportunity to address a need and enhance the benefit of being an Associate at Cypress.
Some Cypress members surveyed eight Life Care Services retirement communities that had both employee appreciation funds and scholarship funds. The goals were to discover if any communities experienced conflicts from having both funds and to identify best practices. What they found was that the two funds did not conflict. With this information, the Cypress Board and Partners endorsed proceeding with the scholarship fund.
In the Spring of 2022 all was ready to move ahead. Fay and Nadine Tolman suggested the name Acorn Scholarship Fund, building on the designation of Raleigh as the City of Oaks. Dana Ethridge helped design the logo. The board of directors was formed. The Partners at Cypress funded the required legal work.
In 2023 the first set of scholarships were awarded to 18 Associates. The Acorn Scholarship Fund is now structured, and ready, to achieve its mission of supporting Associates who seek to advance their education.
The Acorn Scholarship Fund (ASF) is a North Carolina corporation and is recognized as a tax-exempt organization by the IRS. Donations are tax deductible.
