According to Friends of Wednesday’s Child Board Member Jennifer Pascal,
“Today, I have two sweet wishes. First, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy holiday enjoying your special December traditions. For my family, December is hot chocolate, snuggle up on the couch, Trains at NorthPark, play basketball, Miracle on 34th Street, be-an-elf-for-a-family-in-need and cooking with Grandma time.
“This December, there are about 6,000 children living in foster care in North Texas that don’t have family traditions like yours and mine. Through no fault of their own, these children have experienced the unspeakable. Neglect. Abuse. Abandonment. They are removed from their home and face a life of uncertainty. But there is hope. By supporting Friends of Wednesday’s Child, we can help children in foster care have better Decembers, better futures. Friends of Wednesday’s Child can help transform their lives through education.
“It isn’t uncommon for a child living in foster care to live with eight different families before they are 18. They have to adjust to a new home, new adults, new school, new friends, a new life. And even after all that effort, it’s temporary. It’s hard to get traction in school, hard to stay on grade level. In fact, less than 50% receive their high school diploma and only 3% graduate college. Friends of Wednesday’s Child works with each child to give them what they need right now: math tutoring after school, music lessons, the opportunity to go to college or even a consistent, caring adult who can mentor them to dream larger than their experience allows them to believe is possible. Friends of Wednesday’s Child is the only private organization in North Texas serving the academic needs of children in foster care with tutoring, extra-curriculum activities, and academic scholarships.
“That’s why my second sweet wish is that you help Friends of Wednesday’s Child transform the lives of the North Texas children in foster care through education by going to our website and investing in these children today, http://wedchild.org/support/give. It’s a new December tradition for my family, and I hope it can become one for yours too. Happy holidays.”
– Jennifer Pascal, Friends of Wednesday’s Child Board Member
* Photo and graphic provided by Friends of Wednesday’s Child