The Power To Give

By Children's Program Director, Josh Chittum

Christmas time at Community LINC means offices and meeting spaces are filled with shopping bags and wrapped presents and all available hands digging in to help distribute items to families. This is expected at a social service agency during the holidays. What I’m proud of most this season, however, is something we did for Christmas that might not be as expected to outside observers.

For an entire month, children and youth participated in our first ever Read-to-Give program. During this time, they raised $1 for each book or story they wrote through outside sponsorships. At the end of the program, 130 literacy activities were completed. With an extra donation on top of sponsorship, the children and youth raised $200 total.

The great part is that they were raising money for someone else - an international organization called Oxfam America that works to promote self-sufficiency in developing nations just as we work to promote self-sufficiency for families experiencing homelessness in Kansas City. Through Oxfam’s Unwrapped store, children used the funds they raised to purchase a goat and bundles of school books that will benefit children in a developing country as they too strive towards self-sufficiency.

There is power in being able to act upon the world in this manner. There is power in realizing that one does not have to identify “only” as a recipient of charity. There is power in us, those not experiencing homelessness, to view children at Community LINC as capable of giving something to the world just like any other child.

This power increases children’s resiliency, which is the primary focus of Children’s Program. It also helps children internalize the fact that they can act in the world. That realization is linked to self-sufficiency, which is central to our organizational mission. That is why this program was started and why we hope we are able to continue it in the years ahead.

Children Matter: Big and small, donations help kids of all ages

By Children’s Program Director Ryan Blake

 

Working in the non-profit world I have come to realize that funding is a constant source of concern. I see our fundraising department work tirelessly to ensure that we have enough funds to continue to operate and plan for the future.

 

This ever-present issue of funding has allowed me to see how important donations are to Community LINC and specifically the Children’s Program. In-kind donations of goods and services as well as monetary donations allow our program to meet the needs of the children we serve.

 

Our volunteers donate countless hours of their time to provide program classes and tutoring for students.  Individuals and organizations donate items that we distribute to children throughout the year.

These donations provide our children with journals to write about their experiences, toothbrushes to keep their teeth clean, and books to read and school supplies to use.  A donation of a washing machine and dryer ensure that we are able to clean all fabric items that our infants and toddlers use. A donated basketball goal provides our young male students with a physical outlet and a place where I can provide case management.  Students are able to use donated laptops to complete homework at our after school program.  Continuous donations of healthy snacks and juice allow us to provide every student with a snack when they come to tutoring.

 

In fact the majority of the materials and supplies we use in Children’s Programing are donated. I am continually amazed by the generosity of others in supporting our program. It is this generosity that allows our programs to serve the children at Community LINC.