November 22, 2017
Dear Friends:
Here it is, that time of year again, when I update all of you on what we've been up to at the Kevin S. Roberts Foundation for Children for the past year. It's almost inconceivable to think that this is my 18th annual newsletter and we're still going strong!
Over the past several years I've shared stories of some of the children the Foundation has helped, and many of you have commented that it's the stories, rather than our statistics, that truly convey the heart and soul of what we're about, and the role we've been able to play in the lives of the children we're able to reach each year. So I thought I’d share a few more stories with you now.
Every year we're contacted by social workers, case managers, medical professionals, school staff and other child advocates whose commitment to helping children in urgent need is both heartfelt and fierce. Many of these professionals have been turned down by multiple grant sources before they “find” us - through the Internet, from one of the hundreds of free bookmarks we distribute each year, or from simple word-of-mouth.
This year, one such advocate contacted us about “Jose,” a 4-year-old boy with cerebral palsy whose mother was struggling to carry him everywhere she and her other two children needed to go, while she waited for a governmental agency to release funding for a stroller that could support Jose’s size and weight.The long wait had begun to take both an emotional and physical toll on the family, particularly on mom.
We were thrilled to be able to fund and purchase a brand-new stroller for this sweet little boy within 36 hours of receiving the grant request! Jose’s mom was so grateful, she could barely speak. Total cost: $114.00.
Another request came to us from the administrator of a summer camp in Texas, who had offered a full scholarship to a 9-year-old girl named “Abby,” who has Down Syndrome and a vision impairment. Abby’s family was thrilled for the opportunity for their little girl to be included with her friends at the week-long camp, but Abby was fearful of the daily swimming activity because she didn’t know how to swim and was afraid of the water.
The camp director had located a certified swim instructor with experience in teaching children with special needs to swim, but the family could not afford to pay for the private, specialized lessons. We were able to pay for
Abby’s swim instruction so that she felt comfortable joining her friends at camp, and also learned an important, lifetime safety skill in the process! The camp staff reported that Abby had “a blast” at camp, and that splashing around in the pool with her friends was one of her favorite daily activities! Total cost: $90.00
And yet another request came from a caseworker helping “Steven,” a remarkably resilient little boy with complex needs who required several days of treatment at a New Hampshire hospital for a blood clot in his heart. Steven’s mom worried that she wouldn't be able to stay at the hospital with her son because she couldn't afford the additional child care expense of having a caregiver stay with her other children throughout the time she would be at the hospital with Steven.
Few grant sources will help with indirect expenses related to a disabled child's need (such as child care for siblings in an urgent situation.) But I'm proud to say that we can - and we did so to help Steven’s family. So Steven got the support he so desperately needed, which made all the difference to him AND his family! Total cost: $200.00.
So often I hear from professionals all over the country who are so excited and relieved to learn that we can partner with them to meet the critical and often extraordinary needs of their young clients, and that we can do so quickly and efficiently, often at very little cost.
On our end, it's incredibly gratifying and heartwarming to know that we've been able to make an appreciable difference in the lives of so many vulnerable children, especially when their needs are so urgent, and similar resources are so scarce.
As always, we wouldn't be able to do any of this life-changing work without the continuing generosity of all of you, our wonderful donors and friends. My sincere thanks to all of you for your amazing support!
Won't you join us again this year to be a hero to one of these children who so need our help? Each request is for a maximum of $250, and some are for as little as $50. Such a small cost to change a child's life!
On behalf of Jose, Abby, Steven and all the children we were able to help this year, thank you for helping and caring so much! We look forward to 2018 and another year of making a difference in the lives of children in need!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Summerton
Foundation President
ps - And now for the annual update on our Foundation‘s namesake: Kevin continues to have the time of his life these days! It gives me great joy to say that he continues to be medically quite stable and is just SO HAPPY! His business, Shred It & Forget It, is growing and we’ve established a loyal customer base. At year-end, Kevin’s business will make a donation representing 5% of its annual net profitto the Foundation bearing his name, and we couldn’t be happier!