The Gift of Gratitude

We recently received a thank you note from one of our parents, and we wanted to share it with you. Enjoy, and know that as our supporter and friend, you are part of an organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of families in need.

from December 18, 2008

"Hi,I'm a parent of Gian Carlo Daproza,one of the students that your organization is helping. He's currently attending at Cora Kelly Recreational Center.
My name is Rosita-Nitz Daproza. I'm emailing just to show how our family and I are so very grateful for what your organization have done for us.. From having us celebrate the Thanksgiving Holidays with peace with the help of the food you've provided our family,I personally is very thankful. Now, for having to provide my children gifts to open for Christmas and for our gift also. Our family is really going through one of the toughest time right now...my husband is trying his hardest to make ends meet but since our economy got hit really hard the company he is now working for decided to cut their hours and its been really hard for us. While fulfilling his duty to his ill mother who is diagnosed with kidney failure and going through her weekly dialysis...
So,every blessing that my family and I are receiving is very much appreciated...

Again, Thank You so very much for all the help that your organization have done for my family and I...

Sincerely,

Rosita- Nitz P. Daproza"

Cinderella's Dress

Sergio is a four-year-old student in our program and he is in Ms. Tonya’s and Ms. Ana’s class at our Birchmere site in Alexandria. He is bright and very funny…a big ham! His sister, Heidi, was one of our preschool students and now she is in second grade. She gets excellent grades and enjoys singing and creating any kind of artwork. I have one of her drawings in my office. Today Heidi came with her Mom to pick up her brother, Sergio. She was all dressed up in what Sergio calls her “Cinderella dress” because she sang in a holiday assembly at school today. She explained to me that she and her classmates performed songs in English, Spanish and even Japanese, and then – to my delight - she demonstrated a couple of the songs! It was gratifying to see her self-assured demeanor, and to take a little credit on behalf of CFNC, for her continued success in school and life.

I love working in a setting where I often have the opportunity and pleasure to see and talk with our former students and their parents at various points along the way and see how well they and their families are doing. I encounter our former students in the public schools in which we have classrooms and in CFNC’s Birchmere site where my office is located if they have a younger sibling enrolled in our program. I also see them in Arlandria, the Birchmere’s neighborhood, where my husband and I also live. What a gift and a joy!

by Donna Bain