Vancouver, WA gives back and that’s important to everyone who lives here. The city is filled with people who want to make a difference in the lives of others. That’s why we’ve put together this list of eight great charities in the area. These nonprofits provide emotional support, mentoring, education, and friendship to kids suffering from mental and physical disabilities and financial hardships. The bottom line is they make an impact on all our futures by helping kids overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.
After reading this list, if you are interested in supporting any of these charities that help children in the Vancouver, Washington area visit the organization’s website to find out how you can donate time or money to help them continue their work.
1. Pacific Foundation for Blind Children
Since 1995, the Pacific Foundation for Blind Children has succeeded in broadening and enhancing educational and employment opportunities for persons who are blind and visually impaired. In Washington State, there are approximately 2,000 blind or visually impaired school-age children annually and the Pacific Foundation for Blind Children focuses its resources on those children to help them find inspiration and achieve success. The Foundation addresses critical issues of literacy, educational achievement, independent living, rewarding employment, and access to technology. There are many ways to support the efforts of the Pacific Foundation and make a difference for a child who is blind or visually impaired.
Pacific Foundation for Blind Children
2. Friends of the Children – SW Washington
Friends of the Children – SW Washington offers the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country that works with children who have faced tremendous adversity. Providing youth with a consistent and caring adult and nurturing sustainable relationships results in youth realizing their potential to become successful students and citizens. Friends of the Children hire and train full-time paid professional mentors called Friends that work with eight to ten youth for twelve-plus years in school, home, and the community resulting in empowered youth with strong life skills, healthy relationships, and tools to succeed. Their trauma-informed, long-term mentoring model is well-respected across the country and the world. Learn more about Friends of the Children – SW Washington to see how you can impact the lives of children.
Friends of the Children–SW Washington
3. Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington provides a positive environment, quality programs, and lifelong learning skills for all school-age youth in the Vancouver, Washington area. The Club works closely with children coming from disadvantaged circumstances by teaming them with trained professionals who allow children to have fun and be themselves in a safe setting, offering programs that channel youthful energy into challenging pursuits and creating healthy relationships that build self-esteem and confidence. Since 1999, the Boys and Girls Club of SW Washington has offered a place for school-age children to feel safe after school and throughout the year, and they currently serve more than 3,000 youth. Check out the link below to see how you can help Boys and Girls Clubs in Vancouver, WA.
Boys & Girls Clubs of SW Washington
4. Camp Hope of Southwest Washington
Camp Hope is an educational, non-profit youth camp that focuses on empowering the youth to face life’s many challenges constructively by fostering principles of trust and truth. Children can enjoy a safe setting where they can be themselves while enjoying nature and numerous activities. Children work alongside a mentor to build lasting relationships and learn valuable life lessons that will equip them to be successful and responsible adults. Camp Hope offers two programs, Discovery Camp and Foster Family Camping, where children can experience horseback riding, outdoor survival skills, hiking, scavenger hunts, fire starting, caving, plant identification, team building, woodworking, archery, and more.
Camp Hope of Southwest Washington
5. Bridge the Gap
Bridge the Gap is a community outreach program designed to enrich the lives of abused and neglected children in SW Washington through resources designed to create stability, growth, and success for children in foster and adoptive care. Since 1999, Bridge the Gap has helped children open their first Christmas present, play a sport, receive tutoring, attend summer school, receive new clothes, attend camp, get haircuts, and many more ‘firsts’ that they would have not experienced. There are many ways to help Bridge the Gap support children experiencing the hardships of foster and adoptive care, including monetary donations, volunteering, or becoming a foster parent.
Bridge the Gap for Kids Clark County
6. Great Life Mentoring
Since 2000, Great Life Mentoring has been cultivating meaningful relationships for children facing adversity with the goal of living happier and healthier lives. Great Life Mentoring is an award-winning, research-based organization that serves youth ages 7 to 18 in SW Washington who have faced trauma or other circumstances that affect their daily lives. Great Life Mentoring assigns trained mentors to children to establish life-long, healthy relationships and behaviors. There are many ways to help Great Life Mentoring, including monetary donations, but the best way to help is to become a mentor. Click on the website below to learn more.
7. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Washington
Big Brothers Big Sisters believes that every child can succeed and thrive in life, and when given the resources to realize full potential through various life skills and relationships, that goal can be achieved. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the nation’s largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network serving children ages 5 through 18. Through its unique one-to-one mentoring program that matches a caring adult mentor to a child, Big Brothers Big Sisters of SW Washington helps children succeed in school, helps them avoid risky behaviors, and helps them improve self-esteem and confidence. There are many valuable ways to help Big Brothers Big Sisters, including monetary donations, donating stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, volunteering, becoming a mentor, sponsoring an event, having your employer match a charitable gift, and more.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Washington
8. Children’s Home Society of Washington
Since 1896, the Children’s Home Society of Washington has made its mission to develop healthy children, create strong families, build engaged communities, and speak and advocate for children. Children’s Home Society uses preventative measures to help families get ahead of any problems that may occur at home that may result in a breakdown of the family unit, as well as helping them navigate themselves out of the welfare system through crucial services. Children’s Home Society also has the Parents for Parents program, a successful foster care program where more than 28,000 children have been adopted through their organization, Early Learning initiatives like Early Head Start, Parents as Teachers, Head Start, Parentchild+, and center-based, high-quality child care programs like in-class and virtual learning, home-visiting, and virtual family events. You can help Children’s Society with donations, stocks, Amazon Wishlist, and more.
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