Community's generosity pays off for Season to Share families who needed help to overcome
Those needs varied widely as families fought poverty, cared for injured or sick children and as individuals struggled to overcome illness or grievous injury.
In Boca Raton, the Fuchs family needed newer, safer transportation as they raised their daugher, Violet Fuchs, who has a rare genetic disorder that has made her quadriplegic, non-verbal and blind.
Bella's Angels, an organization that provides assistance to families with disabled children, nominated the Fuchs for help through The Post's Season to Share program. Donors read about Violet and her family's struggles and came through for them.
"They are in the final process of purchasing the vehicle and having it fitted for Violet," Bella's Angels wrote in a summary. "She will always have her disabilities, but this help is alleviating the worry and financial burden of a vehicle to help their family and especially Violet."
In Wellington, a young woman needed help as she recovered from a 2019 car crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down at age 13. Valerie Chandler used to skateboard, play volleyball and soccer, but the crash closed those doors.
Chandler has fought hard to open other doors for herself. She takes classes at Palm Beach State College and has a part-time job as a stage manager for the college's theater productions. She wanted a vehicle she could operate so her mother wouldn't have to shuttle her back and forth from Wellington.
Chasing A Dream Foundation, which has provided assistance to Chandler since the crash, nominated her for help through Season to Share. Donors were moved by her story and offered help.
"With these funds, Valerie will learn to drive a vehicle with hand controls," Chasing A Dream wrote in its summary. "This is going to go such a long way in giving her independence and (allowing her to) start living like her peers."
Chandler and the Fuchs were like so many Season to Share nominees. They weren't merely asking for help; they were asking for an opportunity to do more for themselves and others.
Gabriel Pacheco, robbed of sight after a vicious beating, wanted to find a way to return to work, to get some semblance of his old life back.
The Coalition for Independent Living Options nominated Pacheco for help through Season to Share, and donors stepped up, providing enough money to help pay off the family car, catch up on past due bills and buy food.
Pacheco has taken that assistance and is remaking his life.
"He is in a culinary program and working, exercising daily, and training with a BEEP Ball baseball team specifically for players that are blind," the coalition wrote of Pacheco in its summary.
Like Pacheco, Leason Wallace Jr. wants as much independence as possible. Despite battling cerebral palsy, Wallace works as a custodian. But his income rose above the threshold that allowed him to receive supplemental Social Security assistance. That assistance helped pay for the Sea Turtle Adventures iCare Program, which brings people with cognitive and developmental disabilities together for outings and therapeutic activities. Entertainment events with the group got him out of the house three or four evenings a month.
Sea Turtle Adventures nominated Wallace for help through Season to Share, and donors provided enough assistance for him to return to the iCare program for years to come.
"Leason was also gifted an iPad, which has proven invaluable, allowing him to install communication aid programs to enhance his interaction and engagement," Sea Turtle Adventures wrote in a summary.
The Fuchs, Chandler, Pacheco and Wallace are but a few of the people and families who received help through Season to Share, which has raised $17.5 million since it began nearly three decades ago.
All Season to Share donations, which are made via the , go to helping nominees via their nominating agencies. Once the nominees' needs are met, the charitable agencies can use the funds to assist other families within their agencies. Season to Share funds are not to be used by the agencies for administrative purposes.
The reader-donated funds are managed and distributed to the agencies by the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin counties, a respected philanthropic presence for more than 50 years.
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Season to Share generates $600K+ to help individuals, families in need
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