We DREAM BIG at the White Cane Foundation (WCF).

With $100,000 we can EXPAND BIG as well!

This quote by Stacia Tauscher serves as an inspiration for why we do what we do: "We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that they are someone today."

With these funds, we will accelerate our goal to provide new clothes to impoverished students in Lincoln by adding five more Title I elementary schools. We know the positive influence that new clothes have on the attitude, attendance and achievement of students living in poverty. The presence WCF has will be magnified NOW in our community! We already are serving seven schools with a population of over 3,000 students.

WCF provides a "Bundle of Joy" package to students selected by our liaison at each school in partnership with teachers, staff, and parents. With our weekly presence in each school, we meet one-on-one with students to preserve dignity and show respect. We provide two pairs of pants, two tops, one pair of tennis shoes, two pairs of underwear and socks, a coat or jacket, and hygiene items. All of our clothes are NEW! We want each student to feel special and loved.

The $100,000 would be used to purchase clothing/inventory, hire a part-time employee, and purchase a mobile unit/van. The mobile unit will allow us to serve schools that do not currently have room for our volunteers to meet with students in a private dedicated space. Space is precious and ever-changing in schools for a variety of reasons. The mobile unit increases our opportunity to serve students in schools where we are already working, and it increases our ability to work in additional schools that do not have the space for us.

Being present with each student is important to us. While the new outfit is fleeting, it is the memory that remains. A teacher described a moment with her student who had received a Bundle of Joy package earlier in the school year. They were looking at a picture of her receiving an award, and the girl said, "Look at this picture" The teacher said, "Yes, you got that award." The student responded, "No, I'm wearing my new clothes."  When these children become adults, they will most likely forget what the outfit looked like, however, they will always remember how they felt when they received it.

Lincoln is our home, and we love what it represents. It is a place with special qualities and special people. Lincoln is a "little BIG town" and it is ours. Our greatest wish is that every one of you reading this could see the light in each child's eyes when they step out of our changing tents and look into the mirror and see themselves in new clothes, many for the first time ever!

You provide that when you support our work. Thank you for "Being the Light."