Hello, and welcome to May. One of the prettiest months of the year.
I hope that this finds you well despite the challenges that the last several weeks have brought to us all. The COVID-19 crisis has impacted virtually each and every person and family.
At the beginning of the ongoing crisis, The Children’s Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund and has been reaching out to many of our partners to identify immediate support directly related to the unforeseen challenges they all face.
Our emergency fund is providing dollars to organizations like Brilliant Detroit, Forgotten Harvest, Ronald McDonald House, Starfish Family Services and Gleaners Food Bank just to name a few. To read stories about how these organization are working to alleviate stresses on children and families in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, click here.
The Foundation team has been working remotely very effectively and efficiently since late March. Each day teams convene via teleconference so we may continue to make progress on all of our efforts, even in these unusual circumstances.
The deadline for our Spring grant cycle was extended to April 30 and we are now looking at many new, robust applications. We plan to present our recommendations to the Grants Committee in early June.
Focusing on fundraising remains a priority for The Foundation as we continue our mission to improve the health and wellness of children and families. We recently launched two exciting efforts including:
- The iCare campaign in collaboration with iHeartRadio which intends to raise awareness and funds for our COVID-19 related emergency efforts. If you would like to join us in our efforts, please visit here. The campaign ends on May 17.
- The Paul W’s Caring for Kids Club, which engages donors year-round to raise funds and awareness for the Paul W. Smith charities: Detroit PAL, The Children’s Center, Variety Detroit and our very own Children’s Foundation. Learn more how you can get involved,
Please stay safe and healthy. I hope that soon we will have an opportunity to catch-up in an engaging environment.
Onward!
Lawrence J. Burns
President & CEO
