2022 to 2023 was an incredible year for Children’s Fund. This year saw many changes, plenty of growth, and positive challenges. Here is a look at
Support
The first of our three pillars, our Support Pillar provides the services that our children and youth experiencing crisis need to meet their basic needs and create stability.
In 2022, we hosted the inaugural Children’s Fund Family Fair. Having taken place on September 24th, the Family Fair was a chance for Children’s Fund to involve ourselves directly with our community. We offered resources and information on employment opportunities, food security, and housing information. Additionally, guests left with new household items, clothing, shoes, infant care items, and more.
The success of this event was only possible through the help of our partners: Inland Housing Solutions, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Reach Out, San Bernardino County Transitional Assistance, San Bernardino Valley College, Cal State University San Bernardino Educational Opportunity Program, Ontario-Montclair School District Health & Wellness Services, and the Cal State San Bernardino Reentry Initiative.
We saw a tremendous response from our families, with over 250 families registered and serving over 990 family members; we are excited to continue the Family Fair annually.
This summer saw our annual Backpack and School Supplies Drive. Through this drive, we provided 1,890 children with the tools they needed to succeed. Here is what one parent had to say,
“I will always remember this moment in my life, a true blessing. Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart for EVERYTHING you did for me and my children. Your kindness has truly touched my life in a meaningful way.
Best regards,
Marilyn”
Support Impact
1,890 children started the school year with new backpacks and school supplies
1,310 children received groceries, new clothing, and hygiene items
1,214 children were given the gift of a good night’s sleep with new beds and bedding
67 families were provided security with continued warmth and comfort through rental and utility assistance
20 youth received a Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) survivor kit
4,168 community members participated in Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) workshops
4,216 children were served at the Children’s Assessment Center and the Resiliency Institute of Childhood Adversity
34,049 household items were provided to partner agencies and in the Family Fair to meet the basic needs of children and families
Opportunity
The second of our three pillars, our Opportunity Pillar creates opportunities for our children to meet and exceed their potential.
One of the most essential program additions that Children’s Fund has made over the past year has been the expansion of our recreational and extracurricular scholarships. These scholarships were designed to give children and youth a chance to take part in recreational and extracurricular activities that they otherwise would not be able to access.
Music lessons, sports teams, art classes, etc. These are things that many of us fondly remember from our childhood, but a significant number of the children that we serve have not been able to enjoy these activities due to the expense.
Earlier this year, Children’s Fund received a letter from a boy named Aaron. He received an extracurricular scholarship from us for his 8th-grade trip to Washington D.C., New York, and Boston. He tells us how much this trip and opportunity meant to him in his letter. He wrote,
“Dear Children’s Fund
Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to go on my trip to Washington D.C., New York, and Boston. This is a trip I will never forget as it was the first time I traveled in an airplane. When I was taking off, I got butterflies in my stomach. My favorite memory was going to the capital and Fenway Park. I was super happy when we got to the capital because I never thought I would go to the capital. My favorite part at the capital was going to the Library of Congress. It was my favorite part because I love history and I got to see letters from Alexander Hamilton. My other favorite part of my trip was going to Fenway Park. It was my favorite because I like sports and because I got to sit in the oldest seats in baseball history. I also got to sit in the Green Monster seats. My favorite part in New York was going to the show called Wicked. Thank you again for making my dreams come true. I hope one day I can return the favor to someone else.
Love,
Aaron”
In February, we held our 30th Anniversary Children’s Fund Golf Classic with donations to support these scholarships. We believe the message must have resonated with our donors as we raised over $106,600 that day to support the new scholarship program!
But the golf classic was not the only avenue of support that we had for these new scholarships. Our friends at the West End Auxiliary of Children’s Fund sought to raise money for this fantastic cause during their Champions for Children Seeds of Opportunity Scholarship Dinner.
Opportunity Impact
26 youth in foster care received the Shine-A-Light Scholarship
5 youth experiencing poverty, abuse, and or neglect received the Ramos Family Endowed Scholarship
13 youth received an endowed scholarship from one of our 6 partnering universities and colleges
125 youth received a new laptop computer and printer
97 youth received a recreational and extracurricular scholarship
52 youth received a dorm kit and/or graduation pack
9 graduating seniors received a scholarship during Senior Celebration or a SoCal Gas scholarship
100 youth participated in a university mentoring program
1,220 youth experienced a fun-filled youth event
Hope
Our Hope Pillar allows us to inspire, challenge, and motivate our children to dream. We do this through our Celebration of Giving, birthday gifts with the support of the Bonnes Meres Birthday Luncheon, and by celebrating life’s milestones, like high school graduation, entering post-secondary education, and adoption.
Another year means the return of our Celebration of Giving (COG) Program. Going strong for 34 years now, COG is our opportunity to provide gifts to foster and low-income youth across San Bernardino County during the holidays.
There is no doubt that the holiday season brings out the generous spirit in us as we collected over 40,000 toys this year. Companies like Amazon, Arrowhead Credit Union, Lois Lauer, California Steel and many others came through our warehouse with truck loads of toys.
Children’s Fund has recently implemented a pilot program that assists families with children to secure and maintain sustainable housing. With the generosity of donors and private-foundation giving from First 5 and Loma Linda University Health, Children’s Fund is able to provide the stability that families, especially children, experiencing homelessness need. When families are experiencing a crisis such as homelessness the goal of a case manager is to provide support, opportunity, and hope to help the family succeed.
For those who celebrate it, Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones and exchange gifts of love and appreciation, cherishing this magical time together. For those who may not know where they’re going to sleep that night, the last thing on their mind is providing a Christmas gift for their child. Last December, we had the opportunity to partner with organizations, businesses, and companies to adopt families for Christmas. Organizations were able to provide Christmas gifts to all of the unsheltered families we are working with. For that moment in time, they were are able to forget their struggles and experience hope.
One family in particular, a family of four with a new baby on the way, joined the program in August; they had been homeless for four months before coming to the Children’s fund. The parent created her wish list and all she asked for was for basic needs like shampoo, lotion, deodorant, and clothes for her family. Although this was all that she asked for, the donor provided all of that and more. All she kept saying was “God bless you” and “Thank you for everything that you do,” while she was crying watching her children open their gifts. With the help of other organizations, they were able to receive a housing voucher through KEYS. They are currently waiting for housing placement. It is through the kindness of our partners and donors that we have and will help improve the quality of life for families experiencing homelessness.
Hope Impact
· 44,480 children received a holiday/birthday gift
· 20 youth received a CSEC survivor kit
· 1,220 youth experienced a fun-filled event
· 4,168 community members participated in CSEC workshops
Overall, Children’s Fund provided 92,511 total services to children and youth in need.
Thank you to all our amazing staff, volunteers, partners, and donors for helping us make such a considerable impact in the lives of children.
To read our full report on the impact that we made in 2022-2023, follow this link.