TJ is a happy one-year-old with a big personality. He makes new friends every time he meets someone. He was also diagnosed with oculocutaneous albinism. It’s a rare, inherited condition that means his skin, hair and eyes are all light. It also affects his sight. TJ’s condition is rare – only one person in…
For most of us, family is the center of our lives. They’re the people who care about us and know us best. Ryan is a teenager who lost both his parents in less than two years. Ryan also has Down syndrome. This kind of loss is devastating, of course. Ryan’s relatives were not able to…
How was the summer for Wayfinder Family Services? There were so many special Wayfinder Moments this summer, and true to our name, all of them were about finding ways to empower people so that they could reach their full potential. During Wayfinder’s Camp Bloomfield sessions, campers who are blind or visually impaired participated in “packing…
Your kindness made a tremendous difference to a little boy named Daniel!* Daniel lives with his foster parents and 8 other children, many of them also foster kids. His foster parents will tell you that he’s a very sweet kid. Daniel doesn’t speak, can’t see and uses a wheelchair. He was isolated at his last…
Climbing a high ropes course in the dark … maneuvering up a slanted rock wall … riding a skateboard … navigating a tight corner on his bicycle. Nothing stops 11-year- old Lucas, not even the lack of vision in his left eye. “Lucas is a fearless adventurer,” says Annelie, manager of Wayfinder’s Camp Bloomfield. But…
Wayfinder’s generous donors make a tremendous impact. They provide us the resources to change the future of those who have nowhere else to turn. Please consider a gift to Wayfinder this holiday season. Because of your gift … Children like Alan who needed a loving family will thrive thanks to our Foster Care and…
What’s the impact of a gift card? “I’ve never had a teddy bear before.” Michelle is 5 years old and recently entered foster care after years of being neglected at home. She’s never received a gift, even on her birthday. Help give Michelle the number one item on her wish list: a teddy bear…
If you are age 70 ½ or older and own a Roth or traditional IRA, the Charitable IRA “Rollover” or “Qualified Charitable Distribution” (QCD) offers advantages for your charitable giving. Tax law still allows you to use your required minimum distribution (or up to $100,000 per IRA owner) to support Wayfinder, while bypassing your gross…
What are you grateful for this holiday season? I am grateful for Wayfinder’s past, present and future. Wayfinder’s past includes the trailblazing work of my predecessors. As only the fourth CEO in the organization’s 70-year history, I am so fortunate to build on their vision for an equitable world. Also, I’m grateful for the generosity…
“Love. That’s all Alan wanted,” says Marie, who decided to adopt Alan when he was bedridden in a total-care medical facility. Then, medical professionals told Marie that Alan, age 6, had profound disabilities and cerebral palsy. He would never be able to talk or walk. He harmed himself by hitting his head. What Marie saw…