With our 2020 Founder’s Award Luncheon right around the corner, we couldn’t be more thrilled to spotlight Lakeshore Learning Materials as part of the second installment in our new “Donor Spotlight” series.
Rick Lozano, Southwest Regional Vice President, Lakeshore Learning Materials
Lakeshore Learning Materials and Southwest Regional Vice President Rick Lozano have supported our Founder’s Award Luncheon for years. Their continued generosity has shown us just how much of a difference we can make when we have the support of corporate partners who are invested in what works best for children and families all across Texas.
We recently interviewed Rick Lozano and his team to learn more about their organization, what keeps them motivated, and why they choose to support Texans Care for Children. Here’s what they said:
Tell us a little about Lakeshore. What is its goal as an early education company? What does it aim to provide children and families?
Lakeshore first opened its doors in 1954. Family-owned and family-operated from day one, we support children, their families, their teachers and caregivers with products and services that can’t be found anywhere else. Our aim and goal is to help young learners reach the developmental and educational milestones that put them on a path to success in life. It’s a privilege, really, to be part of an industry dedicated to a goal like this. If we’re helping kids and the support systems around them, we’re happy.
Lakeshore has been a generous supporter of Texans Care for Children since 2017. What prompted that continued support of our organization?
That’s easy! Lakeshore supports Texans Care for Children because you are playing a strategic long game in several critical policy areas—early childhood, child health and protection, and youth justice. These are driving issues of concern throughout the country, and it’s great to see an organization wholly devoted to moving policy forward in such a comprehensive and thoughtful way.
What role do organizations like Lakeshore have in supporting the education and well-being of Texas children?
While Lakeshore plays an important role in supporting Texas children, it is definitely a supporting role. We know that the real work is done by the teachers and families who are the children’s true educators and caregivers. If we can respond to their needs effectively, and if we can provide the tools and services they need when they need them, then we’re doing our job.
What advice does Lakeshore have for us at Texans Care for Children and our supporters across the state? How can we continue to best serve our communities as a whole?
It’s an easy answer but an honest one — just keep doing what you’re doing. Texans Care for Children focuses on clear areas of policy and research, performs broad outreach in the community, and offers important tools for families. That’s an impressive trifecta! As far as we are concerned at Lakeshore, Texans Care for Children sets a great example of what public advocacy organizations can achieve when they put their minds to it.