Love Fund for Children
Started in 1981, the Fox4 Love Fund for Children has been bridging the gap in youth services by partnering with advocates to fulfill the unique, unmet needs of children across Kansas City.
Their vision of helping build a stronger Kansas City community in which every child lives without need has helped over 210,000 children to date and over 10,000 in 2022 alone.
Love Fund has several programs, including Life Essentials Assistance Requests, which works through certified youth advocates to identify and support each child’s needs. The Love Fund reviews each request individually and caters to their support to meet the exact needs of each child and family.
The needs are many and varied but include everyday items such as Clothing and shoes, School supplies, Therapeutic items, Beds, blankets and pillows, and Specialty medical equipment.
Their Back To School Supply Drive helps kids get back to school ready, which can be difficult for families dealing with poverty or overwhelming expenses. With the community’s help, the Love Fund sent 7,000 kids back to school with the necessary supplies in 2021.
The Love Fund has a busy fourth quarter of programming every year to help families get through the holiday and winter seasons. These programs include an annual Thanksgiving Celebration, their large-scale Sack It for Santa holiday gift drive, and the Shop with the Love Fund experience.
The Love Fund has had a long-standing partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs Ambassadors to celebrate their Thanksgiving and Shop with the Love Fund. Each event serves 40+ youth who face homelessness, abandonment, and abuse. The Love Fund hosts the children for evenings of festive holiday activities, and for the shopping spree, each child gets $100 to purchase age-appropriate wish list items.
Each year through Sack It for Santa, over 1,500 teens will get a bag of winter essential items (hygiene items, hats, gloves) and themed gifts even though their families can't afford them. The Love Fund partners with funders, corporate partners, and individuals to make this drive possible and to help local teens receive unique holiday gifts their families may not otherwise be able to provide.
Year-round, the Love Fund’s purpose is to alleviate some of the concern, expense, and worry a family faces when experiencing financial difficulty, life transitions, or the needs of a differently abled child. They work to fill the gaps when current services cannot meet the need.
Please visit the Love Fund for Kids website to learn more, volunteer, become a champion, or donate.
Website: www.fox4lovefund.org