LEAGUE CITY — David Tepera doesn’t hesitate to admit that he helped his children form their registered nonprofit organization, the Dekeday Foundation.
The children call the shots, however.
As a single father, Tepera wanted to set an example of community outreach for his children, Dylan, 11, and Daylyn, 9.
The foundation’s name is a combination of the children’s nicknames, "Deke" and "Day Day."
"It’s their foundation," Tepera said. "I just wanted to show my kids that they can make a positive impact in their community."
After Hurricane Ike, the children collected 400 books for Galveston schools. They also donated $8,000 of medical equipment to The Jesse Tree organization in Galveston.
The children want to focus community service projects on meeting the needs of League City, where the Teperas live. They recently collected 200 pieces of standardized uniform clothes for Clear Creek Independent School District. The district’s intermediate school students must conform to a dress code that includes solid-color pants and polo-style shirts.
Dylan and Daylyn washed, folded and separated clothes based on size and gender.
Growth has brought more economically disadvantaged students to the district, Clear Creek Intermediate Principal Jerry Herd said.
"It gets expensive buying clothes for the standardized dress," Herd said. "We have students here that need clothing for school. All of these clothes will get used."
Clear Creek and Seabrook intermediate schools will split the uniforms.
The Teperas want to encourage other children in League City to volunteer.
"It’s so fun helping out with the projects," Dylan Tepera said. "It doesn’t seem like hard work."
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How To Help
For information about the Dekeday Foundation, call David Tepera at 713-249-1501 or e-mail at davidtepera(at)yahoo.com.
This story was brought to you thanks to khou.com’s partnership with The Galveston County Daily News.
