2021 Season of Giving

When families thrive, children succeed.

A fundraising campaign for Homewood Children's Village

Greetings from the Village, 

As we continue our 2021 Season of Giving, I’d like to share a thank-you note that one of our Family Advocates received from a parent.


“Ms. McCoy, you have made my life so bearable. I know that there was something unique about you from my encounters with you at Lincoln pre-k and how my son always sings your praises. [By] having to spend a full year with you during these trying times, [I see that] your compassion is real. Your love and devotion to the children are real by the way you organize and support us, going [the] extra mile, above and beyond.  I salute you. This sets you apart from all others—you were genuinely born to serve.”


At the Homewood Children’s Village, we believe that the parent is the child’s first teacher. The first to nurture the body, mind, and soul, the parent fosters humanity and builds capacity. However, to fully support the child, parents must be able to support themselves. 


Homewood already faces many challenges like the lack of educational attainment, trauma, poor environmental health, and food insecurity--and these inequities have only been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our families lost loved ones, jobs, income, housing, and food security. During the school shutdowns, students lost some safety and stability that the schools provided, in addition to their unfinished learning, further widening the achievement gap. The impact of the pandemic was immediate, and yet sustaining, reconfirming the need to provide ongoing holistic support to our families, addressing both educational and non-educational needs to support the well-being and stability of the parents and children. 


At the center of our work are our Family Advocates. These HCV team members are caring adults who provide ongoing holistic support to families, connecting them to high-quality programs and services while supporting youth with the tools and resources that help them achieve success in school and life. To facilitate well-being and stability, our Advocates work with families to provide resources that further their emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual development.  


When the pandemic began, our Advocates were the first lifeline to the families. They reached out to all 251 families of the students enrolled in the Advocate program to check in and assess their immediate needs and coordinate resources, making sure that they made their way to the families. Once the most critical issues were addressed, our Advocates refocused on the youth’s educational, emotional, social, and occupational needs, keeping them connected to opportunities for learning and ongoing engagement.


Our Advocates take an individualized approach to meet each family’s unique needs. By leveraging a robust network of partners, we can provide the critical resources, programs, and services most suited to their needs and improve outcomes for our children and families. 


We’ve only just begun. Currently, we have the capacity to support 150 families and 300 children with a dedicated Family Advocate. Yet, we know of at least 30 more families who need one assigned to them. With just one more Family Advocate added to our team, we can meet this need.


And we can’t let families wait! 


By donating, you will ensure that the families waiting to get a Family Advocate will get one more quickly. With more funds, we can add Family Advocates to our team to support more Homewood families.


Give today to help a family! 


With appreciation, 


Walter


Walter Lewis

President and CEO

Homewood Children’s Village 


It takes a village to raise a child, support families, and transform a community.

We Believe: 
  • All children have the right and potential to succeed if given the opportunity.
  • Parents are children’s first teachers. 
  • Building adult capacities improves child outcomes.  
  • When families thrive, children succeed.

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