Giving Challenge Success
On September 20-21, 2016 Children’s Guardian Fund participated in a community wide event called the Giving Challenge. Through this collaborative effort, we raised $27,000 during the 24-hour period. $11,225 of that money came from individual donations like you, while the rest was made up by matching funds from the Patterson Foundation.
The $27,000 worth of “extra” funds came at a critical time, as we were seeing record-high numbers of children being removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Support from existing and new donors allowed us to keep up with the growing demand on our programs. This wave of generosity gave us more opportunities to say “yes” to the children in our community who had lost the support of their biological families and therefore lacked so many of the normal childhood experiences that most of us take for granted.
What does normalcy look like for a child in state care? It might mean joining a soccer team or learning to play the guitar. For some children it may be as basic as a school uniform or a pillow and comforter to call their own. For one 4th grade girl, it meant receiving tutoring throughout the school year so that she could finish off the school year at grade level. For a little boy with Autism, it meant receiving a Leap Frog toy that helped him continue practicing his school lessons at home.
We learn about the individual needs of children through the diligent work of Guardian ad Litem volunteers. We are able to respond to those needs because of the generosity of our donors. Together, we get to be the ones who meet simple needs that open up doors of possibilities for local children and young adults in state care.
The 2018 Giving Challenge is coming up on May 1-2 noon-noon. We hope that you will once again join us in this movement of generosity and be the one to help us say “YES” to the children who have heard “NO” for most of their lives.
