February Newsball 2017
Playing Catch-Up with the Life is Good Playmakers
Nothing is Stronger than Love.
Love is never just an emotion. Love is aways an action.
This month, The Life is Good Kids Foundation put our love into action by traveling to Haiti to strategize with our team – known throughout Port-au-Prince as the Gerye Jwa (creole for Joy Warriors). Their name says it all.
We gathered with community leaders, advocates and care providers in Newtown, Connecticut to continue to help their community heal.
We connected with childcare professionals from all across New England for a two-day intensive retreat on creating optimal environments for children.
And now, we’re grateful that you’re here so we can share how we’re growing the good, together.
Love & Peace,
Steve Gross
Founder & Chief Playmaker, LiGP
Last week, Founder Steve Gross and members of The LiGKF Headquarters Team traveled to Haiti to connect and strategize with our team in Port-au-Prince. Explore our Haiti photo gallery, and read Steve’s update on how we’ve continued to grow the good for the children of Haiti over the past seven years.
In early February, The LiGKF held a two-day intensive retreat with 30 leaders from the Sandy Hook and Newtown, Connecticut communities. As an extension of our partnership with the Avielle Foundation, this retreat brought teachers, administrators, social workers, and town officials together to continue exploring ways to create safe, loving, and joyful connections for a community devastated by gun violence in 2012.
Earlier this month, The LiGKF hosted our first public retreat of 2017 here at our home base in Boston for 30 childcare professionals from all across New England. Our public workshops run four times a year and are open to anyone that cares for children who’ve suffered early childhood trauma.
Meet the 2017 LiGKF Boston Marathon Team and read the inspiring story behind their bibs. Their goal this year is to raise $26,000 ($1,000 for every mile ran) to support the mission of The LiGKF.
For more than a year now, we’ve been going steady with our partners at ALEX AND ANI Charity by Design. To date, the Life is Good collection by ALEX AND ANI has raised nearly $200,000 to help kids heal from early childhood trauma – and we love doing more good, together.
LiGKF is proud to announce our second annual Tavern Series – quarterly events in our Life is Good Tavern to connect, engage, and have a good time for a great cause. March 9 kicks-off our 2017 Tavern Series with a Life is Good Story Night in honor of National Optimism Month.
On March 1, LiGKF supporter Jeralyn Glass will be hosting her second annual All Together Now fundraiser in honor of her son, Dylan Sage to benefit The LiGKF. Learn more about this family’s special contribution to our cause and their commitment to spreading the power of optimism.
On March 20, Life is Good, The LiGKF and Read with Malcolm – the non-profit literacy organization founded by New England Patriots Wide Receiver (and Super Bowl Champion!) Malcolm Mitchell will be hosting a Teacher’s Night Out here at Life is Good. If you’re a childcare professional (aka Playmaker) interested in attending, let us know!
The Life is Good & LiGKF Founders are regularly invited to speak on the power of optimism and about our work on behalf of kids in need. These speaking engagements also serve as powerful fundraisers for our life-changing social work through our customized giving tee program. If your business or organization is interested in participating contact our Donor Relations Manager, Morgan Cirillo.
For more than seven years now, Family & Children’s Aid (FCA) of Danbury, Connecticut has partnered with The LiGKF to support the on-going personal and professional development of their leadership and clinical social work teams. Starting next month, FCA will become the first LiGKF deep impact partner to begin running their own Playmaker workshops for new employees.
On Friday, February 24th, LiGKF Founder & Chief Playmaker, Steve Gross, spoke to 500 mental health professionals at the Department of Mental Health about the devastating impact of early childhood trauma. Throughout the presentation, Steve outlined the critical importance of professional care providers taking care of themselves, so that they are best able to care for others.
GOT NEWS?
If you have news about a program, fundraiser, or event in support of The LiGKF, let us know. We love hearing from you!
