Thank you for supporting the Kids Co. scholarship fund through your Virtual BBQ gift. Every child deserves a fun and safe place to go when away from home.

Natalie is so happy to receive a scholarship and full-time care from Kids Co. The added perk is that her father attends with her, which gives them more time together.

Your generosity, Maria, LeDella, Sherrie, Jolene, Chuck, Santosh, and Elisabeth, has provided Natalie and her father more than just financial backing; you are giving them quality time they will cherish forever!

Thank you all for supporting Isabella! She and her mom are eternally grateful and her mother wrote a message to you in thanks:

Kids Co. at McDonald [in Seattle] has been a true blessing for me and my daughter Isabella. She feels appreciated and respected by their wonderful staff. It’s comforting to me to know that my daughter is safe and well taken care of while I’m at work.

Everybody needs help sometimes. Some people are able to give. Some people are blessed to receive. I’m in the second group right now. After a long divorce process, becoming a single mom has been difficult. Along the way I’ve been lucky to have support from family, friends, and a strong community.

I will be always grateful to Kids Co. and its community. Because of their wonderful support, I’m able to afford high quality childcare for Isabella; therefore, it gives me the opportunity to focus on developing my career.

I’m grateful to the fabulous staff. LaFawnda is a magnificent director.  Every staff member is very nice and respectful to the children and their families.

Isabella has made beautiful friendships and her social skills have improved remarkably.

It’s my hope that someday I can become a donor and support this cause; because I do know how wonderful it is to count on giving hearts to help us restore our lives, families and careers.

Thank you very much for your support to my family.

Mayra

(pictured is Isabella with Kids Co. at McDonald Program Manager, LaFawnda)

Thank you for supporting the Kids Co. scholarship fund through your Virtual BBQ gift. Every child deserves a fun and safe place to go when away from home.

Lucy feels very fortunate to receive a scholarship and receive full-time care at Kids Co. The added perk is that her father attends with her, which makes the Kids Co. experience even richer.

Your generosity, Maureen, LaFawnda, Wendy, SS, Tamara, and John, will give Lucy and her father more quality time together!

I am writing to thank you for your kind-hearted donation which is helping fund Cristal’s after school scholarship. When Cristal enrolled at Kids Co. three years ago, she did not speak a word of English. Now in 1^st grade, Cristal is making progress in school and has overcome the social challenges that initially stood in her way as a result of the language barrier she faced. If it were not for Kids Co., Cristal would not be able to get her homework done. Her single mom does not speak English, and she relies on Kids Co.’s bilingual staff to translate school letters and forms and to explain homework assignments. Kids Co. care-givers are important players in helping Cristal be successful in school, and ultimately, in life.

Thanks for making this work with her possible.

Thank you for the impact you have made on Latrice and her family’s life by supporting Kids Co.’s scholarship fund. Your kind gift to Kids Co.’s Virtual BBQ makes our scholarship fund possible. Latrice wanted you to hear her story.
 
Kids Co. at Graham Hill has been a tremendous blessing to my family. I am grateful that this organization exists because my children wouldn’t have had the care that they deserved otherwise. The financial help and the way the Kids Co. staff take care of our children is amazing. I wouldn’t have been able to succeed educationally if it wasn’t for their assistance. My children are learning and developing socially and I am grateful for their educational and social growth through this program.
 
Ever grateful,

Latrice

(Mother of Reylen and Reginald)

I’d like you to get to know ten year-old Nala, a Kids Co. at South Shore scholarship recipient whose life you have helped change for the better. Even before hitting the 5^th Grade, Nala’s mother discovered she had inoperable cancer. She moved her family from Los Angeles to Seattle in order to obtain alternative and quality cancer care that could potentially save her life. Through the move and the many transitions in her mother’s fluctuating health, Nala had to cope with all kinds of emotions from sad, to worried, to scared–even sometimes shocked and confused. Although she lives with her aunt, uncle, grandma, and two infant cousins (a tight, but loving, home), the loneliness and sorrow inherent in coping with an ailing parent set in. She needed a reprieve, a safe place to play, learn, and be a kid. Kids Co. at South Shore supplied just that. Now, with Kids Co.’s scholarship support, she gets to enjoy her days by going on field trips, riding bikes, making new friends, and having fun.

Thank you, Chris, for supporting Kids Co.’s scholarship fund though your Virtual BBQ gift. Every child deserves to have a little childhood fun, even in the midst of crisis. Nala, her mother, and extended family thank you for making this possible.

Your gift to Kids Co.’s 2012 Virtual BBQ is a “life saver” to Brandi and her son, as she will tell you in her own words below.

Kids Co. at Graham Hill’s scholarship program, with its unending commitment that “no family will be turned away due to financial circumstances,” has been a life saver for Marquis and me.

When finances were limited the tuition assistance allowed me to continue my work while paying the amount of childcare costs that I can afford to pay – AND I know that my child is in a safe place where he is able to continue to learn and grow.

We enjoy all of the programs and extra-curricular activities that are provided at no additional charge too!

If it weren’t for Kids Co. I would not be able to work full time and have my son in a safe environment–one where I am not worried if he is being properly cared for. Kids Co. is truly a blessing!!

Thank you,

Brandi J.

(Mother of Marquis)

Let us introduce you to Candace whose family is receiving the benefit of your gift to the 2012 Kids Co. Virtual BBQ.

Kids Co.’s scholarship program has greatly blessed my family. It has enabled me to complete an extensive internship for my bachelors degree program by providing me with assistance to send my children to their summer day camp program. I have been able to successfully graduate from my Bachelor of Science program this past June because this aide was provided to help send my children to the before and after school program as well.

As a newly divorced single mother of two this would have never been possible if it wasn’t for the generous funds that are given to help families like me–regular people who stand in need during difficult times and life transition. At a point in time when I wasn’t sure how I would be able to raise the children on my own all the while furthering my education in the future hope to provide for them, Kids Co.’s tuition assistance program was my saving grace and it proved to me that as a community there are people who still care and are concerned about genuinely helping those in need.

I am forever grateful for this opportunity to have a safe, fun, and loving educational environment for my kids to participate in. I am now currently applying for jobs to begin my journey in the career of Social Services and hope that I am able to give back to the community as Kids Co. has graciously given to me.

I thank you and every person who is involved in making this program possible. It makes a world of difference to my family.

A forever grateful mother,

Candace V.

(Mother of Semaiah and Jason)

Let us introduce you to Katoya, a mom who is incredibly grateful for your gift to the 2012 Kids Co. Virtual BBQ, which is supporting the out-of-school-time scholarships her boys are receiving next month.

During my financial struggles these past few years, I always have been able to depend on Kids Co. for support. My oldest son started Kids Co. at Graham Hill’s childcare program back in 2008. Not much later I gave birth to my middle son and three years after that I had my daughter. All my children have a 3-4 year age gap, making their childcare only a few hundred dollars difference between each of them. The cost of my infant daughter alone in Seattle is $1,300!

As a parent who is responsible for paying rent, providing groceries, heating, clothing, etc., I could not image how I would be able to make this work. I thought about contacting resources for food, and housing, but due to the income restrictions, you had to be almost homeless or making fewer than $20,000 dollars to qualify. So I turned to Kids Co. for help. They offered me endless support and worked with me to keep my children in quality childcare. Without the support and financial scholarships, I wouldn’t be able to afford childcare.

Kids Co. is very generous to provide scholarships to their parents, as many childcare programs either do not have the funds, or do not offer scholarships. Beyond Kids Co. providing scholarships, I have witnessed firsthand how Kids Co. staff and directors have helped families by providing resources and they are always willing to be that listening ear.

Thank you for helping Kids Co. support mother’s like me!

Katoya G.

(mother of Jawan, Willie, and Brooklynn)

This is Kevin diving through the hoop, with his twin brother “Mo-Mo” on his heels. I wanted you to meet him, because you helped make his after school scholarship possible through your recent gift! Recently, it was circus day at Kids Co. and as you can see in this photo, they were doing what little boys do exceeding well–burning off energy!  Kevin and his brother are first-graders who attend Kids Co. at South Shore on scholarship. Their parents both work and provide a stable, loving home for the boys, but finances are stretched for this young family. The Kids Co. scholarships Kevin and Mo-Mo receive make a huge difference in the life of this family. As an aside, you might like to hear that Kevin was just recognized for being one of the most improved first grade students in the school for standardized test scores, what Seattle Public Schools refers to as MAP (Measuring Academic Progress). This little boy you are helping out is going places!

Thanks for caring about Kevin and kids like him. They are our future!