The sheer numbers tell you the impressive impact the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund has had in helping people in South Florida who are less fortunate.
Now in its 25th year, the fund has raised almost $42 million to help nonprofit agencies provide services to disadvantaged children, families and adults.
With the support of people like you, last year the fund raised more than $800,000, counting a matching donation from the McCormick Foundation.
Your donations make an enormous difference in helping to address child abuse prevention and treatment, child education, housing and hunger, to name just a few of the funded programs.
And by leveraging your contributions to attract matching funds, the Children’s Fund makes your gift even bigger, as it makes the lives of disadvantaged people in our community a little better.
Mary Reidel, CEO and president of Women in Distress of Broward County, knows the impact first-hand. Women in Distress provides shelter and care for victims of domestic violence, with 132 beds at the main shelter. Last year, more than 3,300 women and children sought shelter there.
“More than half of the people we serve are children,” she said.
“[The Children’s Fund] lets survivors know there are caring and good people in our community.”
Elsewhere in today’s Sun Sentinel, you will see the first story in this year’s Holiday Campaign. In sharing these stories, our goal is to put a human face on the need, to help you see — up close and personal — the people you will be helping.
The fund expects to support the good work of at least 38 agencies this year. You’ll read about many of them in stories that will run through Dec. 31.
Many of these agencies offer job training and shelter, to help people get a fresh start and end the cycle of poverty.
In picking which agencies will get your contributions, the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund, a fund of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, selects those that:
Have a long-term, positive impact on the community;
Reflect the racial and cultural diversity of our citizens;
Meet the needs of targeted and under-served populations;
Provide steady access to nutritious food for the hungry;
Offer emergency and temporary shelter as well as transitional housing for the homeless;
Ensure safe havens for children and families suffering from domestic abuse.
The McCormick Foundation will match your donation at 50 cents on the dollar, and not a dime goes toward administration expenses. This means 100 percent of your gift, plus the match, is given to qualified nonprofit agencies that will serve our neighbors in need.
We hope you will consider donating to the Children’s Fund. You can do so by calling 800-519-2480 or by visiting SunSentinelChildrensFund.org/Donate.
In this traditional season of giving, consider it a significant way to make an impact, and to make South Florida a better place for us all.
