Great Cause: Adopt a Bright Space for Homeless Children

My department at Bright Horizons Family Solutions is running a fundraiser thru Sept 18 in honor of our late coworker, mentor and boss, Jim Greenman. We hope to raise $3,000 to support teenagers in a shelter in Texas through the Adopt a Bright Space program.

Bright Spaces is the flagship program of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, the nonprofit arm of Bright Horizons Family Solutions, creating warm, comforting family play areas where children and youth in crisis can grow, learn, and play. (More information about the Bright Space program is below.)

There are three ways you can lend your support to this fundraiser:
Please drop me a note or leave a comment here if you take action - it is wonderful to hear from people who have been moved to take part!

1. Donate directly through my department's fundraising page on the Bright Horizons Foundation website: http://www.brighthorizonsfoundation.org/fundraising/educationdept.aspx
   
   • All funds donated through this specific page will go directly to the Bright Space at the Dallas Life Foundation.
2. Make an eco-friendly purchase from Mother Earth Fundraising (my cousin’s company): http://www.motherearthfundraising.com?default_group_id=344
   
   • The Dallas Life Bright Space will receive 40% of the profit on all purchases made via the link above thru August 24. After that date, Dallas Life Bright Space will receive 20% of the profit.
   • Select "Bright Horizons Foundation for Children” as your beneficiary at checkout. You can also credit me by entering my Seller #: S10115 or Margaret Stanley at checkout.
   • Select from products such as 100% recycled gift-wrap, 'green' school supplies, reusable shopping bags, organic baking mixes, soy candles, fair-trade items, and eco-friendly household and personal products. Mother Earth Fundraising operates in a responsible manner: they are a paperless company that uses only eco-friendly packing materials and purchases carbon-offsets to make all of your orders 'carbon-neutral'.
3. Purchase any items from one of my following shops:
   
   • We will donate 20% of the purchase price to the fundraising drive thru Sept 18:
   • Rubber stamps, mounting and cutting supplies: www.inklingsandimprints.net and www.inkandescence.etsy.com
   • Patterns & books: vintage and new for clothing, knitting, beading, needlework, quilting, etc. Other crafting supplies: www.sewmizz.etsy.com

Bright Spaces Program

Jim Greenman
(July 19, 1949 – April 4, 2009)
Bright Horizons Foundation for Children: Chairman of the Board
Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Senior Vice President of Education and Training

Information about Bright Spaces on the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children website.

Adopt a Bright Space was the brainchild of Jim Greenman, who passed away earlier this year. Jim was the Chairman of the Bright Horizons Foundation Board and the leader of our department. Most importantly, he was committed to making the world a better place for all children. Members of the Education and Training department are adopting a Bright Space in Jim’s memory and as a continuation of his work.

Through Adopt a Bright Space, we will support an existing Bright Space and keep it exciting and bright for the children and youth who use it. While the members of the Education and Training department are spread across the U.S., we are joining together to adopt the Bright Space at the Dallas Life Foundation.

Life in a shelter typically means living in close quarters, and teens especially need autonomy and some time on their own. With your help, we will develop a designated area for teenagers within the existing Bright Space, where they will feel comfortable gathering to enjoy games such as foosball and ping pong, play and listen to music, read, draw, and just “hang out.”

Our goal is to raise $3,000. All donations of any size are greatly appreciated.

To help understand the depth of homelessness in this country and its effect on children, we provide the following facts:

• Children and families make up the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
• The average homeless child in America is only 6 years old.
• One third of homeless teens have been a first-hand witness to a major crime.
• More than 1.35 million American children will experience homelessness this year.

Many heartfelt thanks!

- Maggie