December Gratitude 2018
Thank you for Helping Kids Heal
At Life is Good, gratitude is a superpower.
It’s pretty easy to be grateful when our glass is overflowing. It’s not so easy to be grateful when our glass is empty. The superpower of gratitude is often most powerful when – regardless of the amount of liquid we have in our glass – we never lose sight of how fortunate we are just to have glass in the first place. And even if our glass is dirty and covered in spots – we remain grateful that we GET TO clean our glass and even get to help clean the glasses of others.
One of the most filthy, dirty spots on humanity’s collective glass is toxic stress and early adversity in the lives of children. Decades of research by the CDC and the U.S. Administration for Children and Families have proven that toxic stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) weaken children’s brain architecture – making ACEs the greatest health risks to our kids.
Now, here’s a glimmer of light that comes through that same research – the U.S. Administration for Children and Families has also concluded that the healthy development of our children heavily relies on responsive relationships with adult caregivers.
At the Life is Good Kids Foundation (LiGKF) we call those caregivers, Playmakers.
The data tells us that childcare professionals working in health, education and enrichment programs are uniquely positioned to help heal the trauma that poverty, violence, illness and other ACEs leave on our kids.
Thanks to your loyal support this year, the LiGKF has been able to support more Playmakers in schools, hospitals, and social service agencies across the U.S. and Haiti. Our signature Playmaker Program was brought center stage at Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s 2018 ACEs Conference, and we continue to improve the quality of care delivered to more than 1 million kids growing up amidst the traumas associated with poverty, violence, and illness.
THANK YOU!
As you review our 2018 Gratitude Report – an overview of all the good you’ve helped bring to children and those who dedicate their careers to caring for them – please know that you are seen, you are appreciated, and you are essential to spreading the power of optimism and helping kids heal.
Love & Peace,
Steve Gross, MSW
Chief Playmaker, Life is Good Playmakers
YOU HELPED A MILLION CHILDREN IN 2018
The Life is Good Kids Foundation is committed to treating the systemic issue of early childhood trauma. Each year we do this by providing workshops, retreats, signature tools, and on-going coaching through our signature Playmaker Program to more than 10,000 childcare professionals working in schools, hospitals, and social service agencies across the United States and Haiti. The result is improved quality of care for more than 1 million kids growing up amidst the traumas associated with poverty, violence, and illness.
In 2018, we partnered with dozens of leading childcare programs in the areas of education, health, and enrichment.
Through various on-site workshops, retreats, and on-going coaching services this year alone, our collective efforts helped approximately 2,270 Playmakers – childcare professionals in the world helping care for many of our most vulnerable kids.
Take a look back on who and how we helped in 2018:
THROUGH OUR SIGNATURE PLAYMAKER PROGRAM, WE ARE PROUD TO OFFER OUR DEEP IMPACT PARTNERS THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, TOOLS, AND ON-GOING COACHING THAT HELP THEM BUILD OPTIMAL SPACES AND PLACES FOR KIDS TO HEAL, LEARN, AND THRIVE.
YOU HELPED SHARE THE STORIES OF PLAYMAKERS WHO CONTINUE TO MAKE POSITIVE, LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCES FOR KIDS IN NEED.
YOU HELPED RAISE MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS
Events & Gatherings
We love to get together, and we love it even more when great events and gatherings support a really great cause. Through gatherings at our headquarters in Boston, along with conferences and fundraisers all across the country, thousands of passionate supporters raised more than $481,103 to further our mission to help kids heal. Major thanks to DocuSign, Inc.5000, Waddell & Reed, TYSYS, and James Monroe Wire & Cable for making these fundraisers and events so successful.
Underwriting & Partnerships
This year, corporate underwriting for our partnerships with child care organizations, along with unique product partnerships, have raised $530,390 to support our signature Playmaker Program and unique approach to treating the systemic issue of early childhood trauma. This extraordinary level of support would not have happened without the renewed generosity from a select group of family and charitable foundations, ALEX AND ANI’s Charity by Design, Rue La La, Pacific Cycle, Airstream, and Designer’s Choice.
Individuals
Nearly every single day the LiGP receives generous contributions from individuals who simply want to invest in the good growth of others. On average, more than 1,300 Life is Good online shoppers support the LiGP by adding a tax-deductible contribution to their shopping cart each month. Thousands more click the “Donate” button on our homepage throughout the year. And, with year-end giving still going strong, individuals are estimated to give just over $312,172 to support our work in 2018! So whether you can give $10 a month, $1 a day, or upwards of $1000 a year, it all adds up to positive change.
