While experts say the economy may be turning around, many families are still struggling to make ends meet.
And Kipling Elementary School’s Holiday Care & Share Program made this winter brighter for many families in the Chicago area.
In December, families of Kipling Elementary students sponsored 60 needy families served by Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS). The families in need completed wish lists, which were given to donors to fill. The “wish families” requested paper towels, cleaning supplies, sweaters, coats, grocery store gift cards and other everyday essentials
The generous Kipling donors fulfilled the family’s wishes, and went above and beyond by donating items which were dreams come true for the families in need including a television, microwaves, kitchen table sets and even Wii consoles.
One donor whose “wish family” simply requested a blood pressure monitor also gave a handmade quilt and homemade jams.
“For my client family, this gift is huge,” says Lei Ann Marshall, a JCFS social worker. “Their financial resources are such that there is no money leftover for discretionary spending such as movies or entertainment. Something like the Wii was simply impossible for them to conceive of being able to purchase—it was truly a dream, something completely unexpected.”
Kipling Kids Care Co-Chair, Laurie Mann, found joy in teaching her children to be charitable, “[It’s] the greatest gift I can pass on,” she says.
Jewish Child & Family Services provides a range of comprehensive programs in Metropolitan Chicago designed to enable individuals and families to develop positively throughout their lives. With expertise in therapeutic, education and preventive programs, the staff helps countless children, families and adults gain the skills they need to navigate difficult life situations.
To learn more about the JCFS or to make a contribution, please contact Elizabeth Judd, 773-467-3778, [email protected] or visit us on the web at www.jcfs.org.
