Neighbors for Kids, Depoe Bay, Oregon Please go to the highlighted website and make a DONATION… www.neighborsforkids.org
“Neighbors For Kids is an equal opportunity provider”
Neighbors For Kids, a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 93-1262846
November 27, 2015
Dear Family, Friends, and Followers,
As the end of 2015 nears, we write to ask you to make an investment in the future of our local youth and include Neighbors For Kids in your year-end charitable giving. In addition to providing USDA-sponsored food programs, recreational activities and one-on-one professional tutoring in reading and math, our after-school and summer programs also offer a diverse array of classes, focusing on the STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).
These programs foster interest and engagement in the STEAM subjects and ensure that youth in our coastal communities have pathways to achieving college and career readiness in STEAM. Many of your neighbors, family members, and friends everywhere are already supporting our programs, but we need your help as well if we are to further our mission and accommodate the needs of the additional youth who continue to sign up each month to take advantage of the life-altering programs we offer. Perhaps you think your gift won’t matter. If that’s the case, permit me to share with you just one of the many personal success stories that were made possible in part by the generous past support of other local residents just like you:
Megan’s Story…
Megan, who is now 13 years old, has attended our programs for the past four years. She joined NFK’s Kids Zone program at age 9 when she came to live with her grandmother Kim. Earlier in her life, Megan suffered child abuse. Her mother went to prison, and she was in foster care off and on. As a result, she had no stability in her early years, and, as her grandmother states, “She felt like she had no voice.” But happily, the Kids Zone program changed all that. Again, in Kim’s own words:
“Kids Zone was the first place to give Megan unconditional love and a place to be where there was no judgment. Before entering the program she was shy, withdrawn, depressed, and had very low self-esteem. The Kids Zone alleviated her anxiety, and she could finally speak her mind, her voice could be heard. She now realizes she has a voice, she values it and knows it matters. She has been able to develop confidence.” Megan now has all A’s and B’s in her classes. Although she is in the 8th grade, she is taking high school level classes. She is in the Talented and Gifted program, takes part in an extra curricular science club called GEMS (Girls Engineering Math & Science) and is part of Save Our Shores, researching and studying the ocean and behavior of whales along the Washington and Oregon coasts. She also surfs, plays volleyball and softball. When asked how she feels NFK’s programs have changed Megan’s life, her grandmother sums it up this way:
“Neighbors For Kids gave her the right circumstances to not only thrive but also to excel in her life. She always knew she’d be safe and taken care of at the Kids Zone. She knows Kids Zone Afterschool Program is a consistent and safe place to be, and it has been a second home for Megan. She has been able to develop skills and passion for music, art and science. She’s been able to work on her intellectual side but also have opportunities to just be a kid and have fun!”
NFK’s nationally-acclaimed enrichment programs fulfill a critical need in our local communities by supporting the academic and social development of our area’s youth. Studies show that students who participate in effective afterschool and summer programs like those provided by NFK show an increased interest in school and express greater hope for the future. They earn higher grades, have improved attendance, develop better communication skills, demonstrate higher social competence and are more apt to graduate than youth who are left alone and unsupervised during out-of-school hours.
We hope you’ll make a tax-deductible gift to NFK this year so we can put your contribution to work helping other students like Megan develop the academic, social and personal skills they need to achieve their greatest potential. Please take a moment right now and click on www.neighborsforkids.org and make a donation. Or, if you prefer, simply call 541-765-8990 to contribute.
Many thanks and best wishes for a happy New Year!
Cordially,
Bob Houston, NFK Chair
Steve Sparks, NFK Vice Chair
P.S. Your gift is essential to ensure the success of our programs and the impacts they have on the youth we serve. Please be as generous as you can.
