This is a busy news week. Yesterday was the observance of Veteran's Day. Communities gathered for remembrances, parades, and various dedications of monuments and memorials. I love Veteran's Day! In California, fires raged. In various states, election returns continued to be processed, and one of America's most diverse businesses signaled reorganization.
Life is busy. As I contemplated the assortment of challenges and the flow of information this week, I was reminded of an exchange between Agents J and K in Men in Black (1997). J is coming to grips with new knowledge and expresses his angst in dealing with his first alien threat. Agent K puts it in perspective with:
There's always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!
Maybe that is how people get through much of what is in the news, they simply tune out?
In the midst of it all, the week of November 12 is Kids' Chance Awareness Week. There are many opportunities to be aware of Kids' Chance. It is celebrated on social media platforms like Twitter. Workers' Compensation blogger Bob Wilson is spending this week featuring what is really important in the Kids' Chance saga, the kids that make it necessary, and worthwhile. I have been proudly involved in Kids' Chance of Florida since 2015 when it was founded at a meeting in Tampa, Florida (mostly I take notes at meetings, but I am involved).
The Challenge of Kids' Chance, certainly like so many efforts to do good in this workers' compensation industry, is that unfortunately, people DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT! And hence the annual effort at awareness. Despite being featured in such blogs as Bob's Cluttered Desk, Conference Chronicles, and more there are still too many unaware of this organization.
Kids' Chance is one of many organizations striving to reach the kids of injured workers in America. Striving to reach them in a way that touches their present, recognizes their struggles, and facilitates their futures. Kids' Chance is striving to put resources in the hands of young people who have hopes and dreams to attend college or vocational school, to gain skills and knowledge, and to make something of themselves.
Kids' Chance has grown from an idea in 1988 in Georgia to a national presence. There are currently Kids' Chance organizations in every U.S. jurisdiction except Alaska, The District of Columbia, Guam, Maine, New Mexico, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wyoming. 2018 is a special year for Kids' Chance, marking a mere 30 years since its Georgia founding in 1988. In thirty years, Kids' Chance has gone from one man's little idea to an industry presence in 44 jurisdictions.
The Kids' Chance of America President recently noted that
During the past year, Kids’ Chance touched the lives of more than 597 kids, totaling over $2,000,000 in scholarship funds through its member states.
Soak that in for a minute. In one year, this organization touched 597 kids like those featured this week in Bob Wilson's blog. With your knowledge that there are 44 jurisdiction organizations, many of you just calculated in your heads that more than ten kids were helped in each Kids' Chance state last year. Certainly, some states helped more and others less, but collectively 597 kids. That is impressive! That is a tremendous volume of lives impacted by the effects of a parent's work injury and touched by the dream that is Kids' Chance.
To put that into perspective, Kids' Chance of America noted recently that
Collectively, Kids’ Chance organizations have awarded over 6,500 scholarships across the country, totaling over $20,000,000
Kids' Chance has existed for 30 years now. That 6,500 scholarships divided by 30 is about 217 per year. But, in 2017 Kids' Chance awarded more than double that, 597 scholarships. The clarity of this is simple. As Kids' Chance grows, it can touch more kids' lives. And as Kids' Chance grows, it can touch more kid's lives each year. Kids' Chance is growing, the vision is spreading, and it has a goal of achieving a jurisdiction affiliate in each U.S. jurisdiction by 2020. Two years, ten more jurisdictions. An admirable goal.
A great need for Kids' Chance everywhere is awareness. It is critical that people in the industry know that opportunities exist to help kids. But that is only half the battle. More importantly, the kids need to know that the resources exist to help them further their education and fulfill their individual dreams.
The great challenge of Kids' Chance is that there are a great many kids affected by workplace injuries every year. They have great grades, commitment, outstanding achievements, and big hearts, and Kids' Chance can help them. The problem is most of these kids DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT! But, all of you do. Make a referral today. Kids Chance of Florida has a simple referral tool on its website. Certainly, if the need is imminent (2019 graduations), but even beyond. Get that kid in the database, and facilitate Kids' Chance reaching out when high school graduation comes.
In a Christmas classic sure to rerun next month, Scrooged (1988), Claire noted "You can always change tomorrow if you want to." Kids' Chance is doing that every day. Each of those changes is small, and incremental. Those changes are each one kid. But those kids add up, the volunteers reading those applications add up, those adjusters, nurses, doctors, and lawyers making applicant referrals add up, those word-spreaders and cheerleaders add up.
You add up. Make a referral today. Recruit kids to apply today. Make one difference today. Touch one kid's life today. Welcome to Kids' Chance Awareness Week 2018!