Since the newspaper article was printed we have gotten requests for how people can help.. Here are some thoughts...
For bigger donations or leaving the children in wills, a special needs trust is going to be set up and the donation is left to their special needs trust not in their name. The children receive supports that will be taken form them if they receive monetary gifts in their name. A special needs trust will allow someone to leave something without penalizing them. The special needs trust which my home, life insurance and assets will go into- upon anything happening to me. It is so the kids can manage here in this home, as their home forever. The special needs trust costs about 5K to get set up therefore has not yet been set up yet. I have gotten a gentleman to offer to help me do this although to set up a legitimate special needs trust -it runs about $5,000.00 so not in my league right now. I plan on this in the event anything huge happens in our family that permits me to have access to that sort of collateral for doing so.
As for ways to help, the kids love camp during the summer. I am able to get a scholarship for them with $50.00 deposits which have to be paid to be accepted to get the scholarship. Keirsten, Kaitlyn, Steven, Jordan and Tressa qualify for the week long camp if anyone wanted to send the camp their deposit. It is a week long camp during the summer. The camp knows the children from the past two summers.
http://www.foundationfordreams.org/contribution.html
Foundation for Dreams, Inc.
16110 Dream Oaks Place * Bradenton, FL 34212
Phone: (941) 746-5659 * Fax: (941) 745-1409
Email: jfranke@foundationfordreams.org
Other ideas would be to pay for dance instructions, horse riding lesions, swimming classes, anything to give outside activities which are out of the budget now.
Kaitlyn wants to play the clarinet better where First Notes said they have 1:1 instruction who would love to work with Kaitlyn. I am not sure the clarinet I bought off Ebay is one to learn from. I can not tell if it works correctly. I am sure Steven would love to play an instrument, Jordan wants to play the guitar.
First Notes Music
461 Del Prado Blvd. S. Cape Coral, Fl. 33990
239-573-3636 (P) 239-573-1058 (F)
firstnotemusic@yahoo.com
We rarely get to go out to eat as a family so any family gift certificate to Applebee's, Outback, the love the (KUMO or Sukura but costly.) Even going out to Pizza hut as a family would be nice. It is about getting dressed up and going somewhere.
Bush Garden tickets where if we go in January/or later we can go back all year for free would be wonderful. It has been years since that has been affordable. Any tickets to the dinner shows, theater or musical events, etc... even sports/concert events. None of those things am I able to buy tickets for the kids to attend. Not in our budget.
smaller gifts
Keirsten loves jewelry, makeup, purses, girly items. "Skinny jeans" size 0/1 jr. The more bleached, ripped tattered and torn are the ones she chooses. Holister, Ambucrombie and Fitch tops Tops..anything in a teen magazine which is another thing the kids all love. To get the annual magazine subscriptions.
Kaitlyn wants an ipod or mp3 player for holding music, she asked for a hauling truck from Home Depot although it is a go-cart she is thinking, 4-wheeler, etc (not a smaller item) She loves anything she is a size 3/4 jr SHORT. Her shoes are from Snidermans's shoes as they are specially fitted...that would be a huge help to get shoes for the kids. They run about 60.00 each child with special fittings: (Kaitlyn, Steven, Jordan, Tressa and Lucas)
Steven wants an ipod or mp3 player as well. He LOVES coloring books and markers. Steven is into magazines as well so old magazines laying around he loves, the trashing tabloids are his favorite..LOL...Steven said a watch too.
Jordan wants a big truck, (he is thinking like a go cart/big item) blue car and he said he wants a watch. He loves cars, a bucket of hot wheels are a favorite past time.
Tressa wants a camera, she wants the photo frame that the SD card goes into after you take pictures. She circled a key chain size one. pixo's, really wants the BINGO game with the rolling cage that has the balls with numbers to call out..
Lucas is happy with anything that lights up and makes music
Emma being 8 mos is happy. A bag of size 2 diapers would help.
We can never have too many arts and crafts items. I was thinking of getting them a pottery wheel.
They mentioned they want a trampoline, we had one but the sun rotted it and I can not afford another now. They did use it a lot. Needs the safety net around it. Double bounce for shock to their bodies, prevention is recommended
http://www.jumpsport.com/pr-Trampolines-AOS-DB.htm#
