The Children’s Foundation of America would be nothing without the volunteers that support us in our mission to help children heal, learn and thrive. The aid of our amazing volunteers makes the work we do possible. To show our appreciation, the Foundation hosted their third annual “Valenteer” Party on February 23 to highlight the achievements of our volunteers and award those who stood out as invaluable members of the community.

A Year in Review

2018 stands as a year of many accomplishments. 596 individual volunteers supported the Foundation for a total of 1,645 volunteer hours. That’s 196 more volunteers and 245 more hours than the previous year!

The items we’ve collected from donation drives allowed us to support foster youth in a multitude of ways. We were able to grant a total of $55,000 in scholarships and provide basic necessities like contact lenses and blankets. Through funding we were able provide a sense of normalcy for several foster youth. We purchased a prom suit and interview clothes for a young man in a group home, provided the opportunity to take college preparatory classes, supplied a therapist with weighted vests for children dealing with trauma, and much more. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of volunteers donating their valuable time to make a difference.

Activities and Fun

Volunteers were treated to a variety of food, from cookies and cupcakes to chips and sandwiches. All of this thanks to our generous donors Stater Bros., Von’s, Espiau’s, I Like Pie Bakeshop, Trader Joe’s and Super King.

Attendees were given raffle tickets to win a variety of prizes, ranging from free tickets to our annual Funny 4 a Reason comedy show to Jamba Juice and 21 Choices gift cards. Additional raffle tickets were given for donating to our Birthday in a Bag campaign, which collected $250 worth of birthday items for foster youth. One of our lead volunteers, Vicki Rensch, donated 6 birthday bags and won a Starbucks gift card and a Palm Desert Jeep Tour voucher!

We also had an activity board where volunteers described their favorite part of volunteering. Volunteer Chrissy Cruz wrote, “My heart is happiest when I’m able to help others in need. I’m so thankful for the Children’s Foundation and the beautiful work they do!”

Recognizing achievement

Communications and Volunteer Relations Specialist, Marie Maghuyop and Community Outreach and Donor Relations Coordinator, Amber Thorneycroft passed out special certificates, plaques and trophies to recognize the time and dedication of our volunteers.

Among the unique awards presented, were “Volunteer Superhero” trophies, awarded to Jim Athey and Vicki Rensch for accumulating the most amount of volunteer hours in 2018. Volunteer Linh Trieu received the “Triniteer of the Year” plaque for serving the most volunteer hours as a Trinity Youth Services employee. Zayda Cruz was presented the “Peer-to-Peer Volunteer” award for her outstanding work in conducting book drives and raising funds for a literacy scholarship. As part of the Zayda Literacy Fund foster children at Trinity Youth Services are eligible for up to three $500 scholarships and book packages. Although unable to attend the event, the Etiwanda High School Key Club received the “Superhero Squad” award for serving the most volunteer hours as a group. Dania Aguilar, a previous intern and long-term volunteer, received the “Most Valuable Volunteer” award for going above and beyond. She continued to volunteer after her internship, helped raise awareness of our organization and brought in more volunteers.

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for making 2018 another successful year for CFA! We look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2019. If you would like to know more about getting involved, click here!

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Jose Rojas, CFA Intern
Jose is an English literature major at California State University San Bernardino. As a CFA intern, Jose attends and photographs events and writes for our blog. He has previously volunteered with The Prison Library Project. In his free time, you can catch him playing tennis or cramming for his next exam.