Real Wishes and Needs Fund Stories...
For many years...
a Grandmother has been trying to keep a large family together in spite of many obstacles. She was caring for three young girls who were in early elementary school. After having been involved in soccer herself as a youth, she wanted the girls to have the chance to play as well. The first year, Voices for Children Foundation was able to provide soccer shoes through our Wishes and Needs fund to allow the girls to play. The following year, the Grandmother could not even afford the fees for the girls to play soccer. Again, Voices for Children Foundation was able to step in and help. Now, not only are the girls enjoying a healthy extra-curricular activity by playing soccer, but the Grandmother has joined in the fun and is volunteering as a coach!
One fifteen year old...
had been placed in dependency after being passed along through different family members, each of whom refused to continue housing him. His mother is deceased, his father is unknown, and he struggles with developmental deficits. He asked if he could have a scooter so that he could compete in scooter competitions at the skateboard park, as he had in the past. Voices for Children Foundation was able to provide him with a competition worthy scooter and helmet. Subsequently, his CASA Volunteer, CASA Program Coordinator, and Social Worker thanked Voices for Children Foundation, stating that he had “very few positive events in his life so far, but your gift provided him joy and happiness. Thanks to all of the individuals at Voices for Children Foundation for making this happen."
We were honored...
to fulfill a heartwarming request for a little boy who entered foster care as an infant. Developmental delays made it impossible for him to ride a bike, even by the age of seven. His wish was for an extra large sturdy tri-cycle that would accommodate his larger than average size and allow him to ride on the greenway “like all of the other kids.” After receiving his new trike, we received the biggest gift of all, an adorable picture of him riding his trike and wearing a grin from ear to ear.We were extremely pleased to have the ability to help a teenaged boy in foster care who had been moved several times and ended up in a temporary placement with relatives. The relatives worked long hours and were unable to transport him to wrestling practice. Not only was this young man an accomplished high school wrestler himself, but he also volunteered his time to coach younger kids in the sport. His wish was to have his own bike so that he could be independent and have his own transportation to travel across town to volunteer and practice. We were impressed with his dedication and desire to help others, and we were proud to provide him with the first new bike he had ever owned.
One particularly fulfilling story...
is of a teenage boy who recently found himself back in foster care. Tragically, after adoption out of foster care, abuse and neglect landed him back in the dependency system a second time. He had been so severely malnourished that he was substantially underweight and his growth had been stunted. After receiving proper care and good nutrition for only three months, he had grown in stature and had gained over fifty pounds, putting him within the normal range for his age and height. His clothes could no longer be buttoned and his shoes were falling apart, and beyond such basic needs, he desperately wanted to play basketball. Our Wishes and Needs Fund was able to provide a new pair of basketball shoes and shorts that he proudly wore to his first day of practice. We also utilized our community connections to share his story and solicit donors who provided a pair of new jeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirts to help him through this difficult time in his life. After we also discovered that he was a budding artist, we provided him with a set of drawing pencils and paper to help him fill his time off of the basketball court as well.
Recently a social worker...
requested a musical instrument for a ten year old boy who had spent the majority of his life in multiple foster home placements. He had been placed in another temporary home which was unable to provide him with the instrument he desperately wanted to play in the school band. The resourceful social worker located a reasonably priced, used instrument and we were happy to grant the funds to purchase it for him. We have since learned that he carries his instrument everywhere he goes and loves to practice and show it off to anyone willing to listen.
We were pleased to fulfill a wish for a boy whose psychological disability prevented him from playing with other children without constant adult supervision. Voices for Children Foundation provided funding for a free standing basketball hoop which was placed outside a large picture window at his foster placement. This allowed the child to engage in physical activity and helped satisfy an important need for a bit of autonomy and independence, while allowing the foster parents to discretely supervise his independent play.
We had a request...
for a teenage boy, living in a group home, who loved to skateboard and had won some local competitions in the past. His board had broken and he had been without one for several months. We were happy to provide the young man with a skateboard to participate in such a healthy physical activity. He was astounded that anyone was willing to let him pick out a custom board and was very excited to be involved in choosing the components for his board.
Voices for Children Foundation
PO Box 1373 | Yakima, WA 98907 | 509.225.0335
voices@voicesforchildrenyakima.org
