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Jan Abrams

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Jan Abrams is the executive director for Caring for Kids, a position she has held since 2011. Prior to Caring for Kids she was president of Jewish Family and Children’s Service. She earned a BS in English Education from the University of Missouri in 1969, was an English teacher at St. Joseph Academy High School from 1969-1974 and served on the Clayton School District Board of Education from 1986-1996. Abrams cam be contacted at Caring for Kids, 8000 Bonhomme Suite 214, Clayton, MO 63105. Email: caringforkidsinc@yahoo.com.

Letter To Say Thank You To NAILBA From Caring For Kids

When was the last time you had a pillow fight? Do you remember? Was it with your brothers…your sisters…at a pajama party? Did your parents come break it up and tell you kids to cut it out and get in your beds and go to sleep? Probably so. The children we serve at Caring for kids have never had a pillow fight for just one reason—they’ve never had a pillow. Think about that for a moment. No pillow, no sheets, no blanket and no bed. How can a kid get a good night’s rest without these basic needs? The answer is really simple—he can’t.

Picture one of our families with six kids—only one is old enough to go to school. The older kids are all forced to sleep on the floor of their home because mom cannot afford to buy beds. Wooden pallets with old, dirty blankets thrown over them make their beds at night. The two little ones co-sleep with mom, subjecting them to the dangers of suffocation. If mom has another adult in her bed, the children just may see and be drawn into drug, sexual and alcohol use and abuse. None of this is safe for any of these children. Caring for Kids funded this family for three sets of bunk beds and one crib, ensuring safe sleep for all 6 youngsters. In addition, we provided bedding for the kids for comfortable nights and mornings.

This was a very expensive request for our agency. With the assistance of you—NAILBA—Caring for Kids was able to buy beds for these kids with brand new bedding. In addition to that, we were able to keep these children in their home. Had we not given them beds, the court may possibly have separated them, sending them to various foster homes. Keeping the kids in an intact family is a dream come true for children in these situations. They need so much; they have so little; they crave being with their siblings and the parents that they have. If we are able to maintain stability for them, it is a blessing beyond what we can say. We can keep them with their friends, in their neighborhoods and in their school districts as well. With your generous help, we were able to assist this family.

Envision another family—this one is a young lady who was expecting a baby but had no idea it was coming so soon. She and the baby’s father were more than surprised when they had to deliver the little baby girl at home—a 7½ month baby. The child was in good condition other that being minor drug exposed. Since they were not prepared, they had no clothing and no crib for the baby when she came home from the hospital. Because Caring for Kids had funds available from NAILBA, we were able to purchase a brand new crib for this baby girl, ensuring safe sleep for her. We also gave the mom and dad newborn clothing to get them started on the road to a new life.

Caring for Kids mission is to immediately provide essential resources to meet the urgent needs of abused, neglected or at-risk children in St. Louis County. With the generous assistance of NAILBA, we were able to purchase beds, cribs and bedding for our kids to ensure safe sleeping. You are wonderful indeed and we send appreciation to each and every one of your members.

Requests come to Caring for Kids from the St. Louis County Family Court every day, asking us for beds and bedding for kids in need. These children need safe and comfortable places to sleep in their homes, away from the dangers of sexual exploration, drug, alcohol and sexual abuse. Just like all of us, we want our kids to sleep well and wake happy. They cannot do so if they aren’t in their own beds. Think about that when you go to sleep tonight. It’s a basic need—for all of us—it’s what we want for our kids, for our grandkids and what our parents wanted for us, even if they told us to stop the pillow fight. If we give a kid a pillow, he gets more than a chance at a pillow fight; she gets a chance to put her head down, have sweet dreams and know we cared enough to send her into slumber like we would our own kids. It just makes sense. Thanks for helping us do this for so many kids!!!

Jan Abrams
Executive Director

For more information about Caring for Kids, or to donate to this worthwhile cause, visit https://caringforkids-stl.org.

The NAILBA Charitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA). Since 2002, more than $3 million in grants have helped more than 200 charitable organizations in the communities in which NAILBA members and their corporate partners live and work, ultimately helping the Foundation achieve its mission of making dreams come true for those less fortunate.

The mission of the NAILBA Charitable Foundation is to encourage volunteerism among NAILBA members and provide grant funds to worthy charitable organizations that serve to enhance the quality of life for those less fortunate, with a special emphasis on children. Every charitable organization applying for grant funding must be sponsored by a NAILBA member agency, exhibitor, sponsor, or advertiser.

The NAILBA Charitable Foundation is dedicated to providing funds to small, well-run charities that may not otherwise have access to additional funding, helping worthwhile philanthropic organizations plant seeds of change in their communities. Visit https://www.nailbacharitablefoundation.org/grants for complete details on how to help a charity in your community receive a grant from the NAILBA Charitable Foundation.

For more information about the NAILBA Charitable Foundation or to donate, visit www.nailbacharitablefoundation.org.