Helping public school children in need. IEA Children's Fund
Every year hundreds of Idaho school children lack support to be successful in school. In most cases, their family cannot afford to provide for their basic needs. From providing warm clothing in the winter to purchasing new glasses for a child with reading difficulty, the Children’s Fund annually makes hundreds of donations to help our state’s students.
How the Children’s Fund Works
The Fund grants requests for the purchase of shoes, winter coats, groceries, eye glasses, dental work, medicine, and more. Requests are made by IEA members and reviewed for compliance with the Children’s Fund policy. Most requests are granted and funds are disbursed within 10 working days.
IEA members, educators, public, non-profits, and corporations contribute to the Children’s Fund. Donations can be made by any individual or group that supports the mission of the fund.
Impact Stories
Over the years, we have received numerous heart-warming notes, photos and thank-you cards. The stories are remarkable, as are the hearts of those who sustain the Children's Fund financially. If a grant has made a positive impact, we'd love to hear from you! Tell your impact story.
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Tape and Shoes
Last winter a teacher called our office and requested funds to buy shoes for her student.
He would stop by her room each morning before going to his first class and borrow her tape to wrap around his shoe and sole to hold them together for the rest of the day.
Since he lived in a part of Idaho where there was a lot of snow, his feet were already wet when he arrived at school.
When the teacher asked him his shoe size, he replied that he didn’t know since he had never had a new pair of shoes.
The ones he was wearing were hand-me-downs.
After getting our check, the teacher took him shopping for new shoes and socks.
Within a short time other teachers in the school noticed his attitude was improved.
He was smiling, and he was no longer sick and sneezing.
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Gift From Santa
During the winter months, and especially December, The Children’s Fund receives many requests. Santa visited the school of a fifth grade special needs girl with cerebral palsy.
When he asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she replied, “An electric wheelchair.”
She then asked him if he was the real Santa and he said, “Yes.”
After Santa left, the girl hugged her teacher and said, “I know I’m getting the electric wheelchair because he is the real Santa.”
All of the teachers in the department started making calls to everyone they could think of, including the Children’s Fund. The Fund gladly gave us a portion of the total cost of the wheelchair.
Within 24 hours, we had collected enough money to make the purchase so Santa came back to school on Friday and presented the wheelchair to this little girl.
Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in that school or a bigger smile on a little girl’s face.
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Winter in Small Town Idaho
A young boy moved with his family to a small Idaho town. The student was reluctant to go out to recess but the teacher didn’t know why. The mother sent a note explaining that the father had been injured on the job and was unable to work and she had taken a job to help make ends meet. She asked that the student be allowed to stay in at recess since he didn’t have a coat and they couldn’t afford one right now.
The IEA member called the Children’s Fund and asked for assistance. When the check arrived, the teacher and the mother took the student shopping. They bought a warm coat, mittens, boots and a hat.
The student now gladly goes out to recess.
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Ready For Summer
Recently an IEA member requested a donation from The Children’s Fund for summer clothing for five children in a family after she noticed the oldest student wearing winter clothing on 85 degree days.
The IEA member, the five children and their mother went shopping, picked out clothes and then were fortunate to have an incredibly cheerful cashier who joked with the kids and went through a “clothes folding” lesson while she placed things into bags. The children stood at the edge of her counter like dominoes, tallest to smallest, with eyes wide, waiting for their turn to get their bag to put into the cart.
All of the children loved the clean, new clothing—shorts, shirts, underwear, socks, water sandals and swim suits that will all be put to good use over the next few years as the children are able to wear them and then hand them down to their younger siblings.
The mother told the IEA member that it would be wonderful for her girls to have “girl clothes” as they most often wear the hand-me-downs from the boys. How exciting for each of the three girls to have her own sundress!
These special children will have a very special summer.
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Two Lives Changed
An IEA member requested a donation from The Children’s Fund to buy glasses with special filtered lenses for two little girls who suffer from a rare optical condition.
The glasses had to be special ordered, and there was a wait of several weeks before they finally arrived.
When one of the girls put her glasses on, she grinned from ear to ear and said, “Wow, the words aren’t moving around the page anymore.”
The teacher wrote, “Can you imagine the excitement for this 10 year old girl who now feels like she may be able to learn without struggles and headaches? Two lives have been changed.”
Fund More Impact Stories
You can make a difference with your contribution to the IEA Children's Fund.
The IEA Children’s Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Contact the IEA Children’s Fund
Call
208-344-1341 or 800-727-9922
Mailing Address
IEA Children’s Fund
620 North Sixth Street
P.O. Box 2638
Boise, ID 83701
