#GivingTuesday 2020….
…falls on December 1 this year and we hope you’ll include Be The Boat Fund in your giving. A committed donor will match all donations up to $2500 and we invite you to partner with us on our good works. Please, be bold for Be The Boat!
As I write this on International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, the sun is shining amidst a pandemic, and we barrel inexorably towards Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, high holidays for every family. This proximity of the bitter and sweet captures so aptly the aftermath of a loss to suicide where we shuffle forward, with a part of us always in the past of what our family once was.
Yet, if 2020 has taught us anything, it is the succor of family and friends, the importance of cherishing the quotidian, and celebrating the wins when they occur. And Be The Boat has had some wins….not the ones we expected (ah, 2020 again) but wins nonetheless:
Hephzibah Children’s Association – our $25,000 grant to underwrite art and pet therapy was shifted to art therapy when COVID demanded social distancing; we’re so grateful that with the agility of Hephzibah staff, we were able to provide tools for pre-verbal children to process their trauma
Infant Welfare Society – our $50,000 grant to underwrite social worker services to link children with needed behavioral health services was attenuated when COVID mandated the closure of dental practices; operations are back up and children are again being connected with appropriate services
Ultramarathon Fundraiser – once again, Lawlor planned and prepped, iced and massaged, had off days, and ran nonetheless for an ultramarathon in support of Be The Boat. When Washington State shut down, it was not to be but Lawlor’s discipline paid off when – with your generosity – a successful non-event occurred
With your donations, we can continue to provide hope to those experiencing challenges and interventions which allow children to pivot their trajectory as they transition to a path of wellness. And isn’t wellness what we all seek?
We know so much has been asked of each of us this year, and we appreciate your consideration. We see great things in our collective future and are so very grateful to have you walk with us into the light of 2021.
Our best wishes to you this holiday season!
Kristen Q. Coe,
on behalf of the Be The Boat Crew