The Jeffrey Foundation Kicks-off "Circle of Love" Fundraising Campaign to Support Children with Special Needs Programs

    LOS ANGELES, CA, September 30, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Jeffrey Foundation, a non-profit child care and resource center offering educational programs, childcare and counseling for special needs children and their families, is kicking-off its annual "Circle of Love" fundraising campaign. The Foundation is one of the country's oldest children with special needs charities based in Los Angeles. The "Circle of Love" campaign has a goal of raising $500,000 for the Educational Children's Program and Family Resource Center, and a million dollars for their Endowment Fund. A grant from the Peterson Foundation has paid off all mortgages on the Jeffrey Foundation Building in 2014.

"I founded The Jeffrey Foundation in 1972 after my adopted son Jeffrey was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of two," said CEO Alyce Winston. "I had difficulty finding quality care and education. That need and awareness led me to start the Foundation. Caring for the development and education of a special needs child is a full-time task that requires a highly skilled team of professional and caring individuals. The majority of teachers and caregivers just don't have access to critical information and resources to care for these children. In Los Angeles, even today, there is a lack of organizations that provide this service."

The funds raised by the "Circle of Love" campaign will go toward administrative and overhead costs in support of their numerous programs. Although 80% of their budget comes from state, county and city grants, those grants do not include operating costs, which makes-up the remainder of the Foundation's budget.

The Foundation has served thousands of children during its 44 years. Currently, in Los Angeles, there are over 30,000 special needs youth that require specialized care to ensure their quality of life. Many of these children are from families headed by single mothers with multiple children. Of these special needs youth, 85% of these children are in foster care and approximately 10% are living with a parent who has either lost custody once due to abuse, neglect, maltreatment or abandonment. Parent training and support services are also offered.

Winston, trained in social work, has dedicated her life to making a difference in order to bridge the gap. The Jeffrey Foundation, which began in her living room, is now housed in two professional buildings on West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles. Alyce's son, Jeffrey, passed away in 1980. However, his legacy lives on. Today, the Foundation proudly serves special needs and typical children 18 months to 22 years and their families.

The Foundation serves children by developing and implementing an array of community-based therapeutic, recreational, educational and social programs. These comprehensive programs consist of childcare, preschool, K-12 educational programming, speech therapy, occupational therapy, life skills, after school activities and social events. The classes, which are inclusive, aim to build core competencies such as cognitive skill building, language development, gross and fine motor skills, and social and emotional development, as well as provide health and nutrition.

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