 “I’ve never really had a Christmas”
This is what one of RJLF’s newer Fellows told us when we asked her for a wishlist this year. She shared that her only experience with receiving Christmas gifts (she celebrates) had been at a youth shelter while in foster care. Before and since then, she and her family just hadn’t had the resources to exchange presents. This isn’t a unique circumstance. Holiday gift exchanges are a tradition most of us take for granted, even while so many are unable to take part. If you are able, this year help RJLF grant the wishes of our Fellows and their children. Their wish lists are linked here. Happy Holidays!
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 Last week, we loaded two SUVs up to the brim with boxes and bags of Thanksgiving food, extra groceries, gift cards and homemade apple bread - plus some baby clothes and toys for good measure. The amount was overwhelming but, in a way, not unexpected. Having worked with the Vine at Doylestown United Methodist Church before, we knew that they would go above and beyond for our Fellows this season. And they did. We could not be more grateful for the Thanksgiving meals (and more) that they provided to RJLF.
Gratitude is the theme for this week, as we look toward Thanksgiving tomorrow. And it is not just the Vine that we are grateful to have. It is our entire community, made up of people and organizations who don’t hesitate to help when asked and most often offer before we can ask. We are incredibly thankful to have the family that we do. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Inflation is at a 31 year high. Prices for everything from gas to groceries are jumping. Headlines bemoan a more expensive Thanksgiving dinner and drive to Grandma’s afterward. Christmas will use up more than a few pennies extra, the media alerts.
But the focus on holidays rather than the necessities costing more negates the real impact of today’s inflation. Ten cents more a gallon at the gas pump or ten dollars more per week at the grocery store might be an annoyance for those in the upper middle class and above, but it won’t break the bank. That’s not true for those who are already struggling. When a monthly budget is tight, if not already in the red, even just a few more dollars per month is nearly impossible to pull off. Cuts will have to be made - cuts to things that are necessary like food, clothes for growing children and the money set aside for commuting, bills, rent. That doesn’t even consider “the extras” that a family would love to provide at this time of year. How do you have a holiday when you can’t afford the every day? If you’re able, consider giving to a local nonprofit in your area to help ease the burden of rising prices this month. The R.J. Leonard Foundation partners with some amazing organizations, including One Simple Wish and The Vine at Doylestown United Methodist Church. They do a lot to help individuals and families in need. And of course, you can always donate to the R.J. Leonard Foundation here. A Fellow recently shared that they had changed doctors and that the first visit with their new physician had gone really well. The new doctor hadn’t given a different diagnosis or changed the treatment plan. The outcome of the appointment was the same as it would have been at the previous practice. However, this doctor had taken the time to listen to the Fellow’s concerns, to walk through the information with them and to explain the diagnosis. The doctor had taken the time to see and hear the Fellow as an individual. That is huge. Being seen as an individual is a privilege that many youth in foster care are not afforded through their time in the system, their time in school and even afterward as young adults. They are so commonly talked about as a statistic, an example of what could go wrong or a pillar of inspiration. Even the idea that we should want to “hear their story” tarnishes the concept of getting to know someone as a person first. And so they get used to it. But no one should become accustomed to not being seen or heard as an individual. We must take the time to ensure that we truly see and hear the people before us, no matter the setting, no matter the cause.   Thank you!
2021 was yet another year of change, another year in which we could not revert back to the old normal. And so we asked you to join us both in person and online for our Heart for Change gala. On October 28th, you did just that with enormous generosity, reminding us yet again that while some things may change, our community, our family remains the same. Thank you for coming together to support our Fellows and our Foundation. We do not know what this next year will bring but one thing we can be certain of is that through it all, we will be overwhelmingly grateful to have you with us.  Want to show your support for the R.J. Leonard Foundation and also be entered into the running for great prizes? Good news, for a limited time only, you can do just that. Here’s how: First, invest in our young people - giving them the chances they deserve - by becoming a sustaining RJLF donor through our monthly giving club Friends Launching Futures. By setting up a recurring monthly donation in the amount of your choice, you help ensure that RJLF’s Fellows have access to the financial assistance they need to meet their goals. It can be as little as $10 a month or as much as your finances allow. Every little bit helps. Once you do that, for a limited time only, between now and our gala on October 28th, you will automatically be entered into the gala’s Chance Auction. We have four amazing prizes, and you’ll have the chance to win each one. You get one ticket for each prize with every FLF contribution. BUT the more you give, the more you get! See below to see how many entries you could earn!
Don’t miss out. Sign up for Friends Launching Futures today!   The R.J. Leonard Foundation’s 2021 Heart for Change Gala is on October 28th. We would love for you to join us! The event will be hybrid this year with both in-person and virtual offerings. All tickets grant access to the silent auction and the opportunity to enter the chance auction.
Please help us honor the hard work of our Mentors and Fellows, and enable us to continue offering the scholarships and programming they deserve. Tickets are available here. Domestic violence can and does affect anyone and everyone. It is estimated that for every minute that passes in the United States, 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner. That’s more than 10 million individuals annually.
Let’s change that statistic. Learn more about domestic violence. Tell others. Find ways to support the individuals abused and their families, and work to ensure abusers are held accountable. Take action. Every minute counts. “I want to be a social worker”
It is not uncommon to hear this or a variation thereof from youth who have been in foster care. Inspired by the help they received or the help they wished they had received, these young people want to be a part of improving the system. However, becoming a social worker or other human services professional is not simple. It requires, at least, a bachelor’s degree, and that bachelor’s degree not only comes with 4 years of classes but at least one in-person internship, as well. This may seem doable for the stereotypical college student, but youth in foster care are far from the standard. Many are unable to attend college right out of high school, returning years later when they may already have full-time jobs, families and other responsibilities. Those who are able to transition straight from high school to college are still likely to be paying, if not for their education, for everything else - rent, utilities, food, etc. This not only makes a demanding course load harder but also makes a 16 hour/week internship nearly impossible to pull off without help. At the R.J. Leonard Foundation we are privileged to work with many young people who want to give back - who dream of working in social work, criminal justice, psychology and more. Help us make those dreams a reality by becoming a part of the RJLF family. Learn more about how you can donate or volunteer here. At the R.J. Leonard Foundation, we encourage our volunteers to take part in suicide prevention training, either hosting the training ourselves or connecting Mentors and Board Members with the opportunity elsewhere. Recently, a potential volunteer questioned the need for suicide prevention training. He was planning to be a mentor, he said, not a counselor. Would he be expected to address suicidal ideations on his own? The answer was, of course, no … but. We don’t expect our Mentors to take on the role and responsibility of a crisis counselor. But that doesn’t mean a Mentor - or anyone - should pass up the opportunity to better understand suicide and suicide prevention. The reason for that is simple - suicide can affect anyone. There are factors that indicate a greater risk, but people of all ages, from all backgrounds experience suicidal ideations, attempt suicide or die by suicide every year. Suicide is , in fact, the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Thus, we believe it is imperative that anyone in a role of support and guidance be informed about suicide prevention. Truthfully, we believe that everyone should be informed about suicide prevention. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. May it serve as a reminder and an opportunity for us all to learn more.  |
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P.O. Box 1138
Doylestown, PA 18901 |