We are officially halfway through 2023! For this blog series, that means it’s time to share with you all the impact you have helped us to create in the second quarter. If you keep up with our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media, you’ll recall just how busy SGF has been these last three months. Busy for us means our mission is gaining momentum and our community is pouring back into our organization. Not only does your support mean the world to us, but you are directly affecting the lives of the families we serve in the most special way. Without further ado, let’s dive into the Specially Gifted Foundation Q2 2023 recap…
Kendra Scott Gives Back to SGF
The Kendra Scott team at Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, Georgia reached out to SGF earlier this year about Kendra Scott Gives Back. We were so excited to be a part of this event! Shoppers had the chance to use our code online during the last weekend of April or visit the store on April 29th between 2p-4p and mention SGF for 20% of their purchase to be donated directly to SGF.
It was a pleasure to interact with their customers during the in-store event and share SGF with so many people. Thanks to everyone who shopped to support SGF, we received $280.32 towards our mission! We are grateful to the incredible Kendra Scott team for hosting us!
SGF Mom’s Coffee Date
Our first Mom’s Coffee Date was such a great opportunity for some of our NWGA moms to have fellowship. Our team was so honored to be in the presence of some incredibly inspirational women and mothers! SGF provided coffee from Swift & Finch, water, donuts and sausage balls from The Sweet Bar, and Relentless Chiropractic generously donated their space for us to gather.
We loved being able to give these moms a space to come together and swap stories, share advice from their experiences, and build relationships. This is one of the many ways SGF fulfills part of our mission – community! We look forward to future gatherings and branching out into other regions of Georgia that are home to many other SGF moms.
Spring in the Valley Festival 2023
Our third annual Spring in the Valley Festival was the most successful SIV to date! Our community was already lining up before the event started, which warmed our hearts. The kids’ faces would light up in line throughout the day as they watched the trackless train ride throughout the event space. Naturally, once they received their arm bracelets, the first question they asked was, “Where do I get in line for the train?”
Another new activity this year that could also be seen from the line was the rock-climbing wall. There were kids of all different ages, including my almost 12-year-old son that loved this addition this year. Other than trains and rock climbing, we had a bounce house, petting zoo, face painting, SGF Kids Game Booth (which is our favorite), and so much more.
From vendor shopping and delicious food, to live music and a car show, there was so much fun to be had this year! As families would leave, they were thanking us for holding the event and expressing their excitement for next year. We love our community so much and because of everyone that sponsored, volunteered, and came out to support SIV 2023…
TOGETHER, WE RAISED $25,040!
This means SGF will be able to fulfill all THREE parts of our mission. Most people associate SGF with our gifting experiences, but it’s way more than that. We also provide beneficial resources and a sense of community for the family as a whole. When you contribute to our organization, you are helping families in way more ways than you can imagine!
Thanks to SIV 2023, SGF will benefit TWO families in NWGA, fully develop the online resource database, and keep building a community for families who have children with disabilities. To learn more about this year’s event, check out the blog post here!
SGF Gifts Brenan's Family
This gifting announcement is not only the second of the year, but also one of the Spring in the Valley 2023 giftings! One of our generous SGF supporters made an anonymous donation by choosing to sponsor Brenan and the Duncan family to be our first SIV 2023 gifting. Brenan’s family is working hard towards making their home more accommodating for him, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to provide financial assistance towards this project.
The Duncan family has faced so many challenges along their journey, but their love for Brenan and mission to share his story is why we all choose SGF! Click here to read Brenan’s story and learn more about him, his family, and the renovations they are making to improve accessibility.
That’s a Wrap for Q2 2023!
We are working diligently to involve our supportive community more and more so you can see everything that goes into our mission and the impact we are making, together. Everyone remembers the gifts and opportunities we share from the gifting experience, but what you don’t always see is the special connections we form along the way with the families we serve.
In these three years, we have celebrated birthdays, but we have also mourned with families at funerals. Through the tears, laughter, stories, hardships, and victories, SGF is there to love these families and advocate for them in whatever way best serves them. This is what we are building at SGF! We are blessed for everything our community pours into SGF and want you to know you truly are making a difference!
