I would like to Nominate My Favorite Non-Profit Project for YourHub.com Grant
Jefferson County Child Care Association
Submitted by:
Marilyn Dean, JCCCA President
Leadean Dickerson, JCCCA Treasurer, Project Manager for Women's Shelter
I have attached the letter concerning our project. Thank you.
JEFFERSON COUNTY CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION
CARES ABOUT CHILDREN. . . . . . . & THE COMMUNITY THEY LIVE IN
Jefferson County Child Care Association (JCCCA) is a non-profit organization that supports professional quality childcare through many avenues. Membership is open to all licensed Jefferson County Home Childcare Providers and Child Care Advocates throughout Jefferson County and the surrounding Metro Denver area. Quality childcare is enhanced through the training, active participation, caring and love for our community's children offered by our association. There are a number of ways our non profit association supports the community.
The support of the
Women In Crisis Shelter has been one of our ongoing projects of support for over 15 years
. As Colorado's first domestic violence shelter and Jefferson County's only shelter, the Women in Crisis Shelter's mission is to assist women and children in developing options as they re-establish their lives free of abuse. They do this by providing shelter, counseling, advocacy, protection and education to women and children in need. Emergency shelter, food and clothing are given to the women and children as needed. JCCCA members contribute on an ongoing monthly basis:
- Money, bus tokens, phone calling cards
- Personal hygiene items, toothpaste, toothbrushes
- New underwear for all ages of children and women
- Diapers, baby formula, and bottles for babies
- New pajamas, blankets
- Stuffed animals for comforting the children
- New school supplies, back packs
- Mittens and hats
- Paper goods, laundry soap, and numerous similar items.
- Thanksgiving one year, JCCCA bought turkeys.
- Christmastime, gifts are wrapped for the children in the shelter to give to their mothers, a Christmas tree donated, and gifts for the children.
- Food drives
Once a year we have a contest - Operation Undercover in collaboration with the Colorado Association of Family Child Care. At the JCCCA meetings we take donations from our members to buy new 'underwear and socks' for the women and children at the Women in Crisis Center. Many members bring these items. The items are put together in a creative display to compete with other counties in Colorado. All of the counties are judged by: who brought the most items, how the money was raised, how many people were in involved in collecting the items, and who had the winning display of their items. After the contest, these items are taken to the shelters each association supports. Jefferson County Child Care Association gives their 'operation undercover' items to the Women in Crisis Center.
Used clothing, toys, and furniture have been donated and taken to the "Treasure Trunk" where women and children can go to pick out things they may need. In addition, the Treasure Trunk in turn sells the items to the public to help raise money for the shelter and other charities they support.
This is such a worthwhile project for JCCCA and hopefully makes a difference for those in the community at a time when they most need help.