Child Welfare Foundation awards 28 grants totaling $636,467

In its 63rd year, the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation has awarded $636,467 to 27 nonprofits for 2018. The grant recipients were selected by CWF’s Board of Directors on Oct. 8 during their annual fall meeting in Indianapolis. The recipients have been awarded the grants to support youth-serving projects that seek to enhance the lives of children by addressing their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.

The following is a brief summary of the grants awarded, which were made possible thanks to the fundraising efforts and support from The American Legion, Sons of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Eight and Forty.

Adoption Exchange Association of Linthicum, Md., was awarded $9,192 for their project, “Every Child Deserves a Family.” This grant will provide a website to share useful information with other agencies to facilitate adoptions.

Angel Flight Soars of Atlanta was awarded $45,000 for their project, “Angel Flight Soars Website Revitalization and Native Pilot App.” This grant will help redesign their website into a more patient-friendly one. A mobile app for the pilots will also be designed so that pilots may manage their flights better.

Art with Heart of Seattle was awarded $30,000 for their project, “Art with Heart as Partners in Possibility.” This project will provide therapeutic intervention to children that have suffered from the loss of a parent, drug use or economic challenges. The American Legion Auxiliary supports this grant.

Arthritis Foundation of Atlanta was awarded $37,464 for their project, “JA Child Wellness Book.” This book will help children that have recently been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis to better understand their disease.

Birth Defects Research for Children of Orlando, Fla., was awarded $15,140 for their project, “Community Resource Center.” This project will create a section on their website that will be the contact point for other communities to learn how to investigate concerns and collect data about children with birth defects.

Autism Speaks of New York, N.Y., was awarded $31,000 for their project, “Interactive Guide to Individual Education Programs for Children on the Autism Spectrum.” This project will revamp the current Autism Speaks Guide and include a video series highlighting experts on autism, as well as adding interactive tools.

Camp Taylor of Modesto, Calif., was awarded $10,000 for their project, “2017 Youth and Teen Camp Program.” This is a free three to five-day medically supervised camp for children with congenital heart defects. The camp uses 3D technology to help kids better understand their heart condition.

Children’s Craniofacial Association of Dallas was awarded $32,000 for their project, “Wonder/Choose Kind.” This project will publish and print 5,000 of their “Wonder” books. The book helps teach children value, empathy and tolerance for people who are different from themselves.

CJ First Candle of New Canaan, Conn., was awarded $16,440 for their project, “Safe Infant Sleep in Childcare Settings.” This project will update a current brochure to include new recommendations on AAP safe sleep recommendations. The Sons of The American Legion support this grant.

Gratitude Initiative of Bryan, Texas, was awarded $21,000 for their project, “Gratitude Initiative Promotional Video.” This project will provide resources to high school students that are military dependents about how to apply for college. The American Legion Auxiliary supports this grant.

Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. of Arlington, Va., was awarded $25,000 for their project, “Helping Families Cope Successfully with Brain Injury.” This project will create a Facebook ad campaign to provide comprehensive information and resources for those parents and or children who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Hope Flight Foundation of Castro Valley, Calif., was awarded $8,000 for their project, “Free medical flights for children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses.” This project will transport children with serious illnesses, and their families, from remote areas and fly them to inner city hospitals for treatments. The Sons of the American Legion, Eight and Forty and the American Legion Auxiliary support this grant.

Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund of Oceanside, Calif., was awarded $20,000 for their project, “2017 Semper Fi Fund Kids Camp.” This project will send military kids whose parent(s) suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to camp. The camp will have fun activities along with emotional support for the children. The Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary support this grant.

Kansas Braille Transcription Institute of Wichita, Kan., was awarded $11,919 for their project, “Red Sight and Blue, I can SEE her too.” This project will provide 2,550 blind students the opportunity to learn about the American flag and the patriotic ideas behind our great nation. The Sons of the American Legion support this grant.

Kids in Danger of Chicago was awarded $5,000 for their project, “New Material to Reach New Audiences.” This project will provide funding to update their KID brochure, Sleep Safe Checklist and Step to Safety Magnet.

National Braille Press of Boston was awarded $10,370 for their project, “Free Materials to Blind Children.” This project will educate blind children about the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

PAB’s Packs of Minneapolis was awarded $15,000 for their project, "Packs of Comfort for Chronically Ill Teens.” This project will provide custom designed backpacks, filled with special comfort items, to chronically ill teens in the hospital. The Sons of The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Eight and Forty support this grant.

Partnership for Food Safety Education of Arlington, Va., was awarded $10,000 for their project, “Keeping Children Safe from Foodborne Illness.” This grant will provide webinars that will bring attention to food borne illnesses, while also providing helpful resources to reduce the rate of foodborne illness among children.

Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps of Boston was awarded $6,250 for their project, "Raising Awareness of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.” This grant will raise awareness of sexually exploited children and provide children with tools for prevention and intervention.

Saint Francis Community Services of Salina, Kan., was awarded $20,000 for their project,” Awareness of Child Sexual Human Trafficking in the Heartland.” This grant will create a video on human trafficking that will show individual stories of children and how they are coerced into that lifestyle. The Sons of the American Legion and The American Legion support this grant.

Songs of Love Foundation of Forest Hills, N.Y., was awarded $25,000 for their project, “Songs of Love Outreach Project.” This grant will provide personalized songs to seriously ill children up to the age of 21 at no charge to them. The Eight and Forty support this grant.

Talk about Curing Autism of Irvine, Calif., was awarded $22,070 for their project, “Autism Journey Guides and Educational Materials.” This grant will offer educational support to families that have children with autism. The education materials will give insight on life-changing therapies, current research and statistics, and references for support networks to improve the long term outcome.

The American Legion National Headquarters of Indianapolis was awarded $55,500 for their project, “2018 American Legion National Youth Programs Scholarships.” This grant will provide academic scholarships to the following youth programs: Boys Nation, Junior Shooting Sports, Baseball and Eagle Scout of the Year. The Sons of the American Legion support this grant.

The American Legion National Headquarters of Indianapolis was awarded $75,000 for their project, “The American Legion Temporary Financial Assistance Program for 2018.” This grant will provide temporary financial assistance to children of veterans in need of shelter, food, utilities and clothing. The Sons of the American Legion support this grant.

The JAYC Foundation of Los Angeles was awarded $50,000 for their project, “Communication and Mental Health Disorders in Children Involved with Law Enforcement.” This grant will help bridge the gap between law enforcement and children with mental disabilities. The educational materials will teach law enforcement officers what signs to look for in mentally ill children and provide them with information on how to interact with those children.

The National Children’s Cancer Society of St. Louis was awarded $6,715 for their project, “Beyond the Cure: Preparing for life after cancer.” This grant will help children who have survived cancer and provide them with insight as to what happens next. It will also help prepare families for the long term effects from cancer.

The Progeria Research Foundation of Peabody, Mass., was awarded $18,331 for their project, “Progeria Treatment Guidelines Handbook, 2nd Edition.” This grant will update the book from the 2010 version. The book will contain the most recent research and findings along with the latest recommendations of children with progeria.

The Sage Hawk Foundation of Coffeyville, Kan., was awarded $5,076 for their project, “Sage Hawk Computer Literacy Program.” This grant will provide a junior scholarship to a student with the highest GPA and a laptop computer to the student with the second highest GPA.