from Porsche Seals, Executive Director

‘Tis the season to be jolly. As we approach the end of this year, the thought of 2021 coming to a close is quite remarkable. We have made it to December, and if you are reading this – congratulations, you survived almost 2 years of a world-wide pandemic!

The pandemic caused various shifts in the landscape of education and school partnership. Some of our partnerships suffered great loss. The loss of loved ones, jobs, finances, and some have painfully lost the mental capacity necessary to keep going. Educators are leaving the profession at an alarming rate due to mental strain, mask mandates, overrun classrooms, angry parents, and noncompetitive pay.

However, all has not been lost. This, my friend, is where you and I come in. (Cue the music) Joy to the World, we can still have hope! The desire for the community, relationship, and collaboration survived. Of course, we have all been challenged by the idea of how to serve children and families while remaining safe, but the CFKN partners have been very innovative, intentional, and creative.

Personally, my own church mobilized the Mustard Seeds Children’s Ministry to pack Christmas gifts for all the staff members at our local CFKN school, Norfleet Elementary. (See photo.) My church’s story is only one of thousands of others. 

We have seen our partnerships expand! Currently, we are serving 90 schools with 3 schools interested in beginning partnerships in the spring. To date, there are 387 community partner organizations engaged: 161 churches, 111 businesses, and 115 civic/nonprofit organizations.

By the end of the 2021-22 school year, our goal is to engage 40 new faith, 30 new business, and 30 new civic/nonprofit organizations. As we go to winter break, we are excited to welcome 8 new faith partners, 10 new businesses, and 10 new civic and nonprofit organizations!

Thank you for being on this journey of school partnership with us. Without you, there is no Caring for Kids Network. We appreciate your gift to the world – you! Each organization is special to us and we value the efforts of your service.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!