Happy Grant News

Well, good news to report today- we received a $4,000 grant from the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation. The Foundation has supported us for many years. I was feeling positive about our application, but you can never take anything for granted. It was good timing today, because I have been struggling with a grant that I've been working on- I was sitting at the computer, trying to work on a particularly awkward question when the phone rang- it was the lady from the Foundation. Usually, people only call with good news, so that was already a good sign, but I still held my breath until she said the amount which was approved. What a relief! I wish it could say that it encouraged me with the grant that I was working on, but I'm still struggling with it. The whole thing is a bit of a mess right now. A lot of grants ask similar questions, so I can copy/paste from other grant applications. This grant is no different, but they also ask a couple of questions that are hard to answer.  I've written a lot of grants and never been asked these questions before. My goal was to get this grant done before the end of the month, so I can start working on other grants- that doesn't leave too much time. Our program is pretty simple, so answering questions that are overly complicated can be a struggle some times.

In other good news, we did another donation to DCF on Monday which was great. I don't have a photo from the donation unfortunately- it was pouring rain, so I couldn't do the photo outdoors and parking is illegal in front of the building, so I couldn't leave the car. We've had a lot of book donations recently, so I was able to donate over 60 beautiful books along with the coloring books/big boxes of crayons and stuffed animals.

In special news, a mom named Crystal left the following post on our FB page- it is so touching:

"Thank you Project Smile! When I was 34 weeks pregnant with my 4th baby, I fell into a creek when I tried to retrieve my then 2 1/2 year old son. It was bad fall, and I could not move. The first repsonders came and took me away in the ambulance. My three sobbing kids (6,3,and 2) were left with the firefighers who gave them each a stuffed animal to hold as they followed up to the hospital. Thank you so much for your loving concern for children in need of comfort in fearful times. "

I don't hear a lot of stories directly from families, so this was wonderful to hear. I need to print it out and include it with our grant applications and at our events. It is important to share these stories with our supporters.

Well, that's the latest for tonight. I'm off to raid the fridge for some fruit- we have raspberries! If I was industrious, I would go back to grant writing, but I don't think I can manage anymore of it today. Until tomorrow friends....