
#GivingTuesday November 30, 2021
Dear Project Readiness Donors,
We hope this finds each of you and your families well as we enter the holiday season!
True to our promise to evolve past our role as a "seasonal charity," Project Readiness has not slowed down one bit since the start of the 2021-22 school year. We're still hard at work supporting New Jersey's most vulnerable children.
Several times since our inception, we've run into the challenge of "running out" of students to help. In a state in which 33.3% of families with children live below the True Poverty Level of $70,372 per year, there is certainly no shortage of kids requiring assistance -- it's our job to find them.
To that end, Project Readiness is absolutely thrilled to announce a new partnership, and it's a big one. Going forward, we will partner with CASA, (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a national association that trains, supports, and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. Specifically, CASA serves children placed in foster homes, a particularly vulnerable population Project Readiness is well-placed to assist.
To start, Project Readiness will serve those students living in Essex County foster homes, providing them with a full complement of school supplies and a backpack. CASA has asked to receive a supply of 25 backpacks by January, to distribute among Essex County foster children. Project Readiness pledges to put any Giving Tuesday funds it receives towards this purpose.
Please stay safe and well this holiday season, and thank you again for your unfailing support.
Best,
Annie and Jen