(This thread has been moderator approved. Thanks, mods!)
Hi Dopers,
As some of you know, I’m involved in several charities. I’m a bit picky about them…I like things that are local and make a real and tangible impact on the community. Recently, one of the people who got me started doing charity work called and introduced me to a new cause, and asked if I could help with some fundraising. As soon as I freed up from another committment, I went on a tour of the charity…and I was amazed.
Tomorrow’s Rainbow’s mission is to provide grieving children, teens and their families an emotionally safe environment for hope and healing through guidance and support. In addition to using time tested methods, they introduce a variety of animals, including horses (adorable pictures here), donkeys, and a pig. This allows the children express their grief in their own way.
Tomorrow’s Rainbow is mostly volunteer driven, and these compasionate people are carefully trained in handling those in need. However, there are some children who need extra help to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks. These children need a true professional clinician.
The Hope Floats project has set a goal of raising $25,000. This is our half of a matching funds deal that will enable Tomorrow’s Rainbow to hire a full time clinician.
A donation of $25 or more sponsors a paper boat to be sailed down the Fort Lauderdale River at our Hope Floats Event on March 31, 2012.
Our funraising page is at http://www.firstgiving.com/TomorrowsRainbow.
This link is our generic fundraising link. It’s a catch-all, and should let you get lost in the crowd of names if you wish to stay effectively anonymous.
Thank you!
…
That’s the formal pitch. Informally, I have to tell you - after visiting the farm, and meeting some of the volunteers - these people understand children and grieving at a level I hope never to have to deal with. Children talk in the third person quite a bit when they are grieving, until they come to terms with things enough to talk about themselves.
Tomorrow’s Rainbow has a stage area for puppet shows - the kids act out scenes with puppets, including police officers and EMS personnel.
There is a sandbox with all the normal toys, but also with skeletons and tombstones. It sounds gruesome, but it really works. These are items in the kids life right now, and it helps them identify.
The horses themselves have experienced their own problems - one of them had a still born foal. One of them is blind in one eye. They form an amazing bond with the children.
Please…check out their web page. Read the background information. And, if you find it aligns with your own goals, help us help these kids.
ETA: Feel free to ask any questions about the charity, or our fundraising efforts.
-D/a