The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation aims to become the 'go-to' for families in our areas of service who have a chid, between the age of 0-18 who have special needs, are seriously ill or who are facing a medical crisis. We want to be able to grant wishes that bring joy and change lives, fill in gaps other services are unable to fill, and provide support with day-to-day needs for families going through the unimaginable with their child. Along with this mission, SJGF also strives; to provide emotional support and guidance to parents who are facing the stress of having a medically fragile child; to serve as a resource center for the family by connecting them to other forms of assistance available in the community; to provide support to families within their home on a regular basis. When they have no where else to turn for help, we want them to turn to SJGF, and when they reach out to SJGF for help, we want to be able to say 'yes'. In addition, SJGF strives to create a 'community within our community' for families who experience isolation and loneliness because of their child's diagnosis.

We are creating new programs for our families so that we can mobilize our volunteers and match them with the families who need their help on a regular basis, through the SJGF Family Care Program. This program will match vetted volunteers to families currently in crisis who need a hand at home. Along with this program we are also developing support groups for mothers of the children we serve, and also for the bereaved mothers who have lost a child we have served. We are also collecting valuable information that will serve as a resource center for our families. This wealth of information will be provided to our families so that they can learn about, and access other services in the community as needs arise. If there are services available that will benefit our families, we want to know about them, do the research and then provide the information in simple terms to our families who are already overwhelmed. Having a child that is medically fragile or seriously ill can be very isolating, stressful and lonely for the entire family. Our families crave ‘community’ with other families who ‘get it’ so this past year we are proud to say we created two new annual traditions for our families to enjoy. SJGF partnered with local businesses to host both a Fall party and a Christmas celebration for over 75 families. Both events catered to all the children we have served, regardless of the severity of their needs. These events will now be annual traditions for every family that we serve, both old and new. Not only do these new family events create a sense of community, belonging, and togetherness, they also provide moments in time where kids can just be kids, and parents can set aside their worries and fears and just live in the present moment with their children. Our team puts so much thoughtfulness into every tiny detail, to make sure our families feel like the VIP’s that they are and to create memories that will last a lifetime. We plan on adding a summer party on to our family event schedule in 2020.

The support we receive from our community blows us away. When we have a need for a location, a resource, a partnership, or even a helping hand, our community shows up, and shows up big. With the fundraising efforts we have in place we will be able to say yes to families as needs and wishes arise. With the community support we have in place, partnership opportunities are increasing year after year. And as we mobilize the amazing group of volunteers that are committed to helping the families we serve, we will continue to be able to grow with the challenges we face, meet the needs that come our way, and fill in the gaps that other resources are unable or unwilling to help families with.

We are making progress daily, but the true evaluation comes year after year. We are steadily increasing our annual budget, annual donations and most importantly the amount of families we serve and programs we provide. As we grow, we are not only able to help more families, but also provide support to families who we have already served, by providing them with annual events they can attend with each other.

We have touched the lives of almost 150 families, and countless family members since our founding in 2014. Volunteerism in our community has increased as thousands of volunteer hours have been given to the community through The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation. We have developed unique programs and services for families going through the unthinkable with their child, that have never been offered in our area before. Our fundraising efforts not only help us raise money to further our mission, but also provide the area with events that bring the community together. What's next? There is no other SJGF, and we know how desperately families in crisis with their child need what we offer. So we hope to be able to continue to grow and expand so we can help more families.