Jersey Mike's Sub Shops Local Franchise Owner, Jim Shipman -- is our Small Business Feature

What perfect timing; we here at Altruistic Apps™ get to highlight this community business, Jersey Mike's Sub at the height of summer. Just when those fun outdoor celebrations are in full gear. From graduation parties, and family reunions, to simple family gatherings. What
ever your reason, to us, these all make for great excuses to get the kids out of the house and us out of the kitchen (including hiring catering options) -- during summer time.

Any way you slice it, we couldn’t be more pleased to share a bit about our community partner, Jim Shipman. Jim is the friendly franchise owner of three Jersey Mike’s Sub store locations in: Geneva, South Elgin, and St. Charles. He became a Business Supporter who’s put the School Supporter™ app, seen in the shot below, to work for his business. 

Jersey Mike’s Subs is a franchise business keen on giving back to its community, and we think the founder and CEO, Peter Cancro, would be proud of Jim Shipman’s example of that philosophy working with Altruistic Apps™ and the School Supporter™.  

 
In short at that means, is that he has selected a local Batavia school to sponsor for a flat fee, (with the potential of adding more schools) to have his business added as a School Supporter™.  Amazingly, 50% of that fee from using the app, goes directly to the school! 

Now, Jim can connect with the local community, provide specials found only on the School Supporter™app, plus he’s giving back —all at the same time!  The Batavia High School Boosters are doing a great job of building awareness of the app, and in-turn sharing how they plan to use the extra revenue generated to support the improvements to their sports facilities. 

 So folks, if you are looking for a great place for sub sandwiches, whether dining-in their retro Jersey shore styled restaurants, or ordering for catering, Jersey Mike’s gets our vote. From freshly made classic subs, hot or cold, to wraps and orders by the bag or by the box, you  can’t beat their selection. 

From all of us at Altruistic Apps we say thanks, and Go Bulldogs!

The Alltru-team

(Writing and Photography by ©lindambarrett productions)

Meet our Altruistic Apps Team: Steve Haney is our Creative Director

For the next several weeks, we wanted to take the time to introduce you to members of our team here at Altruistic Apps LLC. These are our talented, hardworking partners, often behind the scenes, and we're thrilled to share a bit more about their skills and talents.

Meet Steve Haney, our down-to-earth, easy going, and talented Creative Director. It's his keen eye that keeps the    branding consistent -- from the web and print collateral     to the School Supporter Apps, as well as the business icons.  

When asked what inspired Steve's creativity, his     response was, "I've always loved drawing." "When I was younger I was the kid always drawing pictures of            my family…sketching my brothers as cartoon characters." "From as early as I can recall, I was drawing, and people would  comment on how good and fast I was." Which makes it all the more surprising that Steve didn't take his first official drawing class until college.

Originally, his college studies were in mechanical and technical drawing, but after taking several  classes he found it wasn't as appealing for him. "I liked more creative drawing, so I switched to graphic design." Now, 35 years later Steve is still putting his pen to paper - as well as computer - creating web designs, and print collateral. He's designed logos, packaging, brochures  and more, for hundreds of clients.

                                         

Steve says the most rewarding thing for him is when he hears his clients response after seeing the work he's created, "their thanks makes me feel good…those direct conversations generate the best feelings."

Getting to work with Steve, as part of the team on Altruistic Apps has it's rewards too. Steve said that what he found appealing about Altruistic Apps "is that we'll be providing directly to schools…to me that's everything." "My kids are grown now, but they (their school) really didn't want for things, not the way that other schools did…it's a dramatic difference when I see photos of the schools from some of the neighborhoods in Chicago, and I think, wow, they need help!"  "And the best part is…we can help these schools." 

It's that big hearted nature, along with his creative skills, that makes us feel lucky that we're getting to work with Steve. Next time you click on an icon for your local school or small business or visit our website, know that it's Steve creative talents that help make those possible.  

Cheers,

Linda
The Altruistic Apps Team

AltruisticApps Small Business Feature: A hot cup of joe with Limestone Coffee & Tea!

Next time you are in down town Batavia, Illinois, look for this little gem of a coffee house, Limestone. It sits near the river, right off the main street at the corner of Wilson St. & N. Island/Shumay Ave.

This small town shop with a hip environment offers a full espresso bar, teas and blended hot and cold drinks. All of the steamed deliciousness is prepared with a smile by experienced barista's - including owner's Maureen and her daughter Kendall.  This duo also serves up a selection of fresh baked muffins, scones and quiche. So, grab a table and relax as you enjoy an environment that is also filled with local artwork.

Be sure you have the School Supporter App downloaded on your smart phone to get the latest in specials. We are proud to showcase Limestone who is supporting their local community by being a merchant that is generating money for the local schools in the area through its partnership with Altruistic Apps, LLC.

Check out our Small Business Feature article below.

  

Business Feature: Foltos Tonsorial Parlor

Small Business Feature

Every few weeks we will be doing a feature on one of our new local businesses; partners who are supporting both the community and your local schools through the SchoolSupporterApp.

We wanted a way to say thank you to the early app partners with this special value added blog feature, including sharing some photos and a bit more personal story about these local business that enrich our communities. These posts will also be circulated on our other social media outlets.

Feel free to share the links and drop us a comment or two.

Thanks for visiting and stop back often to see the new Business Features.

~The Altruistic Apps team

Creative Earth Day projects to do with your kids!

Happy Earth Day! We thought we'd share some fun projects that show how to renew, reuse, and remake everyday items into something new. Normally many of these items, like cereal boxes, coffee grounds or jelly jars would go right into the trash or recycle bin, but below we are sharing new ways to look at each of them.

This project from Spoonful shows the how-to steps for turning the families cereal boxes into creative magazine holders. Perfect for kids to decorate with finger paint too. 

Mom or Dad, before you throw out those morning coffee grounds and half cup of cold coffee, try this clever fossil project using coffee grounds  with your kids. Looking for even more ideas for recyling, check out http://spoonful.com.

While we love sharing the fun crafty projects, we also felt it was important to provide some information that helps both adults and kids understand the impact of Earth Day in the bigger picture. This article by the SF Gate has valuable information that is quite eye opening. We found it worth the read gleaning information in order to find ways to teach kids about the harm that some of our everyday items (and behaviors) can have on the environment.  Simply changes like drinking more water out of regular drinking glasses, or reusing old jelly jars  instead of plastic bottles - both filled from the tap -  can cut down on the plastic produced and accumulated in our land fills. 

Try making recycling fun by inventing ways for your kids to get rewards for identifying recyclable products. Or, have your kids become "recycling detectives". While shopping, have them look for products that have recycled content in them - showing them the RECYCLED symbol, will inform them while also making the experience of shopping into a game. These kinds of lessons will build lifelong recycling behaviors.  

For more on what is recyclable and what isn't, check out http://www.greengirlrecycling.com/faqs.html.

Happy Earth Day!

Altruistic Apps.

Making Bunny Napkins for your Easter Table

We couldn't resist sharing these cute little folded napkins from Martha Stewart (left) and Taste of Home (right), with some simple steps by My Chinet below. Using either paper or your cloth napkins, you can add fun table accents with little or no cost.  Or, print out the instructions and let the guests try making these themselves…creating some time to play before shairng your meal together is the best way to build memorable experiences.

Enjoy and Happy Easter from all of us at AltrusticApp!

What We're Thankful For

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here. We don’t usually like to play favorites, but this holiday is definitely at the top of the list. Thanksgiving is all about spreading goodwill, and in a way, it reminds us why we do what we do in the first place.

Today, we want to share how grateful we are for those who make our work at Altruistic Apps possible.

We’re grateful for…

Our How and Our Why

If you’ve been following along on the blog for awhile, you’ve probably begun to see how much we care about helping schools and students succeed. You’ve also started to learn about what we do, and you’ve met some of the businesses, principals and parents we’re working with. However, it’s been awhile since you’ve heard anything from us about how our School Supporter app works or why we’re doing what we’re doing, and today, we’d like to address just that.

What better way to learn more about us than straight from the source, right?

Business Spotlight: Freshii

Our School Supporter app provides a way for caring companies to really make a difference. Today, we’re introducing you to another business that has made the commitment to partner with its community and give back, Freshii.

Jamie Maloney is a mother of five herself, so she knows the power of quality education. She also knows a good fundraiser when she sees it. As the owner of Freshii, Jamie says she is incredibly pleased that half of her marketing dollars are going directly to the school she’s supporting. She describes it as “the best of two worlds” - coupons for fast, healthy eating and support of local schools.

Freshii from Altruistic Apps LLC on Vimeo.

Four Ways to Give Your Kids A Giving Spirit

Remember Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote?

Your kids have probably heard it, too, but they might not understand what it really means.

The holiday season is fast approaching, and there’s no better time to instill a generous spirit in your children. As you prepare for parties and family gatherings, make plans to show your kids what really matters -- how to give back and put others first. Together with your family, start changing the world, one step at a time.

Educational and Inexpensive: Last Minute Halloween Ideas

Fall is flying by, and Halloween is tomorrow! This holiday tends to be a favorite for kids, since it incorporates two of their favorite things: costumes and candy. In the midst of the dress up fun, it’s also a great chance to squeeze in a little family time. Tomorrow afternoon, after everyone transforms into their favorite cartoon characters and superheroes, surprise your young ones with these fun family games.

As an added bonus, they all offer a bit of educational value -- but we won’t tell unless you do.

Why Principals Love the School Supporter App

When principals set out to choose school fundraisers, they have two important priorities in mind. First, they want to respect parents’ time and efforts by choosing fundraisers that really work. Second, they want to give their students the support they deserve through fundraisers that are actually profitable.

Most principals (and parents) have tried fundraisers that have zapped time and energy for little return, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Here at Altruistic Apps, we think we’ve found the answer.
Our School Supporter app is personalized to your school and its community, giving parents discounts at the places they already love to shop! Meanwhile, an impressive 50% of the money businesses pay to join the app goes straight back to the classroom.

But enough from us...we’d like you to hear it from someone who knows firsthand. Principal Schuth of Prairie View Elementary uses the School Supporter app at his own school and believes it can truly revolutionize school fundraising. Watch the video below to hear him explain why he loves it.

Principal Perspective from Altruistic Apps LLC on Vimeo.

Six Ways to Fundraise Smarter This School Year

By now, your kids have settled into the routine of a new school year, and so have their teachers. Homework, quizzes and tests are keeping them busy. However, if you’re like many parents, you’re probably beginning to notice that some aspects of your child’s school aren’t living up to their full potential. Maybe it’s a lack of technology in the classroom, the elimination of music or art classes, or too few specialized teachers.

The problem? It’s usually money -- there’s just not enough to go around. That’s why you’re willing to sell cookies and cut box tops to help your kids’ classrooms out. But maybe it’s time to add a few new fundraising tools to your belt.

Here are six “outside the box” fundraising ideas that will help you take your efforts to the next level:

Introducing Midas...A New School Supporter

Building mutually beneficial relationships between schools and businesses, both local and national, is what Altruistic Apps' new School Supporter app is all about. With our apps, businesses are able to reach parents in a very targeted, yet very respectful way. In the process, they give back to schools in their communities and position themselves as being socially responsible. A remarkable 50% of the money that businesses pay to be on featured on the app go directly back to the schools the business is supporting. Meanwhile, shoppers who use our apps save money. It’s a triple win for smartphone users, schools and businesses.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to one of our newest School Supporters, Midas Car Care Centers. In today’s video, Walter Bratcher, who leads a family-franchised group of 11 Midas stores in Chicagoland, tells us why he cares about supporting schools with Altruistic Apps.

 

Midas from Altruistic Apps LLC on Vimeo.

Five Tips for a Successful School Year

Can you believe that it’s already October? If your school is like most, your kids have been back in class for close to a month. However, there’s a good chance your family is still adjusting to the new school year. Getting used to new routines takes time, but the sooner your kids get into the flow of their new schedules, the more successful they’ll be at school.

Here are five ways to build healthy habits and improve your children’s chance of success this school year:

Change made simple

Welcome! This blog is brought to you by the folks at Altruistic Apps, a cutting edge marketing company devoted to creating apps that build stronger, more sustainable communities.

Altruistic Apps was created with the intention of connecting community and commerce. Our first product, the School Supporter App (launching Fall 2013), helps create funding for your child’s school while saving you money at local business that care.  Because we know you care about education and social impact as much as we do, we’ve created this blog as a place to discuss the things we can all do, both big and small, to make sure our children’s educational experiences are the best they can be.  Here, we will share school success stories, provide tips and ideas for enhancing your children’s educational experience, and help you explore unique ways to bridge the gap between fundraising and action.

We can’t wait to get started, and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride. Let’s make education better -- together.

def: Altruistic - unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.