Created by NEA–New Hampshire, the Scott McGilvray Children’s Fund helps kids be ready to learn because a child’s physical, social, or emotional needs should never stand in the way of classroom success.
For more than 25 years we’ve helped children obtain items or services essential to their well-being and success in school, including clothes, medical care, food, transportation, or related services not provided by other agencies.
We all know that educators are caring and empathetic – it’s what drove many of us to the profession in the first place. Very often, an educator is the first one to notice when a child is in need; in some cases, we spend as much, if not more, time with them than many of the adults in their lives.
This time of year, we receive requests for winter clothing and warmer bedding. But that’s not all we do. When everything was lost in a house fire and the entire family was displaced, we helped with new clothing and supplies as the family moved in with relatives. When children were forced to move in with grandparents and there were no beds, we purchased mattresses and bedding to ease the transition. When families struggle because of medical issues and the pandemic, we provide grocery gift cards and help pay other essential expenses to keep the kids warm, safe and fed. We’ve helped stock food and snack pantries in schools for kids who are food insecure across the state.
Our mailboxes are filled with cards, notes and letters from the children, families and schools whose lives were improved by grants and gifts from SMCF.
“Thank you for your generosity with helping our students. They are a resilient bunch, but they get down sometimes, especially when they worry about their parents, and getting evicted, and whether things are going to be okay. When they receive some warm clothes, it gives them confidence and peace.”
“I just want to thank the wonderful people at SMCF so much for the tremendous gift we were able to provide to a family in desperate need. Your generosity allowed us to purchase so much clothing that I was truly sick of shopping! The support you offered has already made the teachers smile because the family received the clothes on Monday and on Tuesday the children were already wearing the outfits we purchased. It was wonderful to see!”
In all these cases, it was educators who saw the need and stepped up to help by contacting the Children’s Fund. You make it happen by asking for help and by making sure we have the funds to continue to make a difference in the lives of our students.
So, if you are aware of a child who could use some help, let us know by filling out an application. Our assistance is intended to meet immediate short term, not ongoing, needs and all assistance should directly benefit the child. Our ability to help is based on need and availability of funds. Since we work in public schools, the assistance must be going to a public-school student or preschooler. And you can be assured that all requests are handled in confidence.
The grant money the Fund uses comes from donations from people like you, and from fundraising events such as the annual Golf Tournament and Amazon Smile donations.
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your the Children’s Fund every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Children’s Fund. On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select us as your charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon remembers your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. So easy right? Why not sign-up and start today?
The Scott McGilvray Children’s Fund is a direct impact program, making a difference one child at a time. With your help we can continue to be there for the New Hampshire students who need us most.