Dear Friends and Supporters:
We know every moment, every event, in every person’s life, plants something in people’s spirits. During the past 30 years, the Women’s Caring Program (WCP) has planted countless seeds in thousands of spirits: seeds of hope, security and friendship.
We have long been aware that every dollar invested in quality childcare and early education for disadvantaged children yields phenomenal returns. Quality childcare and early education can break the course of poverty in a child’s life, beginning a course toward future economic independence. Conversely, we know that when disadvantaged children start kindergarten behind their middle class peers, they rarely catch up.
Through the loyal support and generosity of our supporters, our ChildCare Commitment is entering its 12th year and is a proven model for providing financial help to children from working disadvantaged families. The WCP Board of Directors is now focused on reaching more children through ChildCare Commitment. We are keenly aware of the limited number of children we reach with the dollars that we currently raise. The board of WCP is now focused on growth: cultivating our garden, turning over untilled soil, and planting new seeds.
And so we begin 2010 with not only the will to grow, but the tools to make our transformation real. We are ready to build our foundation’s capacity in new and exciting ways. We are transitioning from an all-volunteer group of friends to a professional organization with serious capacity to build our ChildCare Commitment.
We have embarked on a search for a CEO to lead our organization through this growth and change.
As we look to the future, we are also moving beyond our annual Twilight Gathering garden party. After 30 years, we are now looking to all the women who have enjoyed this event to host a version of their own Twilight Gathering. With our support and assistance, we hope that Women’s Caring Gatherings will be held across Michigan to spread the word about ChildCare Commitment and grow financial support for the program.
This progress would have been impossible without the generosity, caring and support of remarkable women from all generations and walks of life. We hope that our spirit of friendship continues to be the guiding force behind this valuable work. We invite you to participate with us and enjoy the opportunity to watch our children flourish.
Warm regards,
Carol A. Walters
