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…
“My experiences pre-and post-adoption have, without a doubt, led to my career as a social worker today,” says Nick, a Wayfinder family finding social worker. When he was 2 years old, his biological parents left their apartment and never returned, abandoning him and his five older siblings. Nick entered foster care. When he was 3…
Jordan, age 13, and Danielle, age 14, ride the school bus together to Wayfinder’s Special Education School. The school enrolls children ages 5 to 22 who have profound special needs. Jordan is a happy, cheerful teenager with autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability, and difficulty speaking. Danielle, who delights school staff and students with her…
“Audrey is very brave. I believe it took incredible courage for Audrey to attend Camp Bloomfield,” says Mark Lucas, Wayfinder camp director. Audrey, age 15, had lost much of her vision only nine months before she arrived at camp. Doctors had removed a brain tumor that was pressing on her optic nerve. Post-surgery, she has…
Aaronique is living proof that children placed in kinship care with extended family members or close family friends thrive in stable, permanent homes with loving guardians. When she was 5 years old, child welfare workers removed Aaronique from the care of her biological mother who suffered from substance addiction. The little girl went directly into…
