The Flame - FT Cares Foundation

The Flame
A Note from Jane
Last month I attended the annual
National Alliance to End Homelessness
conference in Washington, DC. A
couple of thousand people from
around the country, the majority of
which work in the homeless/social
services field, gathered to share their
successes, new ideas, and the
excitement over how close we are to
ending homelessness in this country.
Did you know there is a Federal
mandate for ending homelessness? It
was signed in 2010 and is called
“Opening Doors”. The plan puts this
country on a path to
end “veterans and
chronic homelessness
by 2015; and to
ending homelessness
among children,
families, and youth by
2020”. Michelle
Obama was the
keynote speaker at
the conference, and
eloquently put it this way: “no
American service-member who
defended his or her country should
ever have to sleep on the streets of
this country, and no man, woman or
child deserves that fate either”. Amen
to that.
In 2013, on any given night, over
600,000 persons were homeless in
this country. At least 300,000 were
under the age of 18. Children in
families experiencing homelessness
have high rates of acute and chronic
health problems and the majority has
been exposed to violence. These
children are also more likely to have
emotional and behavioral problems.
Opening Doors sums up the problem
and its effects like this: “The long-term
effects of homelessness on a child’s
school performance appear significant
and long-lasting.”
The Foundation works with many
organizations working to end
homelessness as well as helping make
better lives for kids through education
and other positive factors (see next
column).
“THE TEST OF OUR PROGRESS IS NOT WHETHER WE ADD MORE TO THE
ABUNDANCE OF THOSE WHO HAVE MUCH, IT IS WHETHER WE PROVIDE
ENOUGH FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TOO LITTLE.” (FDR)
August 2014
August 2014 Theme: Education & Child Development
It seems impossible it’s time for kids to
go back to school, but it’s here! We’re
putting the spotlight on Donors
Choose, an organization that has
harnessed a simple model to make
tangible and significant contributions to
schools across the nation.
Charles Best, Founder and CEO of
Donors Choose, is a shining example of
the power of an idea to improve the lives
of others.
Charles started his career as a high school
history teacher in the Bronx. He quickly
realized that if he wanted to provide
needed resources for his students, the
funding would have to come out of his
own pocket. In 2000 he developed the
first version of the Donor’s Choose
website and anonymously funded the
first 10 projects posted. News quickly
spread and the organization began its
impressive journey.
By 2007, the organization had gone
national. Stars like Steven Colbert and
Oprah Winfrey took notice and kept the
momentum surging ahead. Within
minutes of Oprah featuring the
organization on her show, $250,000 had
been donated to fund projects. To date,
Donors Choose has raised over $247
million to help over 56,000 participating
schools. And the momentum is still
building!
How Donors Choose Operates
The premise is brilliantly simple. Public
school teachers across the country post
requests for their classroom projects
online, and donors fund the project.
Each project undergoes a thorough
vetting process, and once a project is
funded, Donor’s Choose ships the
materials directly to the school. Donors
receive a breakdown of every dollar
spent, letters from students and
teachers, and photos of the project
they supported.
Charity Navigator has awarded the
organization its “highest standard of
efficiency”. It is also the first charitable
organization to be named by Fast
Company as one of the “50 Most
Innovative Companies in the Word.”
Being the Change
The Donor’s Choose story is exciting.
It reminds us that ‘being the change we
want to see in the world’ (to
paraphrase Gandhi) is very much
within our grasp. Transforming lives
can be as simple as firing up your
computer and getting students school
supplies!
The Foundation salutes (and
supports) this organization that is
fanning the flames of hope and
transformation!
We hope you’ll take this opportunity
to get involved in making a tangible
impact on children and teachers in our
schools around the nation. Or tell us
what organizations you support!
Visit www.donorschoose.org to learn
more or to fund a project.
The Flame
Lisa’s Corner:
August 2014
From Sharpies to Sandwiches
I have loved back-to-school shopping since I was a
kid. From wandering through the drug store looking
for brightly colored markers or a new Trapper
Keeper (yep, you remember those!) to picking out
the perfect outfit for the first day (and even deciding
what to have for lunch), I loved the excitement and
promise of a new year at school. Now as a mom,
the “thrill” of getting ready for the school year isn’t
quite the same. My two boys generally detest shopping for anything, let alone trying on clothes,
though they do share my love of anything and
everything in Office Depot! And don’t get me
started on trying to figure out what they’ll not only
take in their lunchbox but actually eat! Thankfully,
we all have the means to take our kids shopping
for school supplies and clothes at the start of the
school year. More importantly, we can send them
each day with either a nutritious lunch or money to
buy hot lunch. Unfortunately, there are a lot of families in and around our towns (and country) that
cannot.
As you embark on your back-to-school rituals, keep
these things in mind:
•New isn’t always necessary. Encourage your kids
to reuse items from last year and use the money
saved to buy supplies to donate.
•Consider donating your gently used office/school
supplies to an organization like Scarce in Glen Ellyn
(scarceecoed.org ) which will be happy to collect
and recycle or repurpose your supplies (provided
they are in good working condition).
•According to Feeding Illinois, one in five children
in Illinois does not get enough to eat. Help your children understand that some First
kids
their
school
may t-shirt!
750 in
runners
receive
a glow-in-the-dark
not be able to bring nutritious
choices
and
thatLight
they
Register
at active.com
(Keyword:
the Torch)
should never make fun of what
another
child
brings
See wheatonparkdistrict.com/lightthetorch for more info
to lunch. (and perhaps remind them that sharing is
usually much appreciated!)
•Northern Illinois Food Bank’s BackPack Program
partners with 130 schools across 13 counties to
provide food to chronically hungry children with little or no access to food over the weekend. Each
backpack contains shelf-stable and nutritious foods
to help feed up to three children over the weekend.
They can provide a backpack full of food to a child
for only $15. Contact backpack@northernilfoodbank.org to help out.
G!
N
I
M
CO
AUGUST 22
l ght the
torch 5K
Board of Directors:
Andy Roggensack
Mark Bradley
Scott Jardine
Lighted 5K Night Run/Walk
Friday, September 26, 2014
Activities start at 5:30 PM
Race begins at 7:00 PM
Fun for all ages, glow giveaways!
Luminaries and lighted finish line!
Free pre-race kids’ activities!
First 750 runners receive a glow-in-the-dark t-shirt!
Register at active.com (Keyword: Light the Torch)
See wheatonparkdistrict.com/lightthetorch
for more info
Officers:
Jane Doyle
Christina Knierim
Amy Lum
Debbie Del Guidice
Patricia Costello
Director of Development:
Lisa Weier