Invest In The Children
Our annual effort to support students navigating economic hardship.
My Friends,
There is a quiet dignity in the act of giving—a recognition that we are all interconnected, that the well-being of one child touches the lives of us all.
Each year, through my non-profit, We Have Stories, I ask people to come together to support children from marginalized communities, children whose potential is too often overlooked simply because they lack the resources to thrive. Having grown up in poverty, I know what it means to start from behind. I know that for some kids, walking into a classroom without a backpack, without notebooks, without the basics, is a weight too heavy to carry.
Which is why annually we provide 100 children with backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, stress balls, books, and gift cards to support their parents.
1 in 5 children in the U.S. lives in poverty. That’s 20% of kids who might walk into a classroom with nothing but their name. No pencils. No notebooks. Just a hope that someone will see them.
Students without access to school supplies are 2 times more likely to struggle academically.
94% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies, trying to fill the gaps for kids who come empty-handed.
The average family spends over $800 on back-to-school supplies each year. For families living paycheck to paycheck, that number might as well be a mountain. And for some, it means choosing between school supplies and basic needs like groceries.
These aren’t just numbers—they’re stories. They’re reminders of why we do this every year, why we keep showing up.
You and I both know that something as simple as having the right supplies can change how a child shows up in the world. It’s the difference between shrinking into the background and standing tall, ready to face the day. And that’s what this is about. We’re here to raise $20,000 to lighten the load for these children.
It doesn’t take a big donation to make a difference. Every dollar counts. Whether you give $2, $3, or more, it all adds up to something powerful. It’s more than just filling a backpack—it’s filling a child with the belief that they deserve to show up fully, that their future matters, that they’re not defined by their family’s struggles.
Let your giving be an act of faith in a better future, one where every child has the tools they need to succeed.
With Love,
Frederick
It kills me every time I hear it no child should have to grow up in poverty in the richest country that has ever existed! We know how to fix it but a few people are too greedy to pay their taxes and we lack the political will to make them!
That $800 average blows my mind. Is it, like, new scooters and a bunch of sneakers and artisan pencils? Private Bunsen burners? Maybe field trip money? Our school district is rural and fairly small, so maybe there are supplies we just never have to think about?