Our Work Doesn’t Stop
Dear Kaleidoscope Community –
Earlier this week, I let you know the ways we are keeping our teams, families and communities safe during this global health crisis. Things have changed even in the last few days, and I want to share with you what our work looks like right now.
This week, one of our clinicians spent an entire day with one of our youth who was in a psychiatric crisis and thinking about hurting himself. She talked with him on one phone while she called 911 on another, and she stayed talking to him until the ambulance arrived. Then she immediately drove to the hospital to meet him there, so he wasn’t alone. She stayed with him for more than three hours, but she was asked to leave due to the COVID-19 threat.
This is the reality of our work every day, and even in a pandemic. As part of our city’s first responders to child abuse, our teams are on the front lines of our communities to keep children, youth and young adults safe.
Our team has pulled together to determine how to continue our work, develop a solid plan, and take action to ensure that all our children and families get the resources and support they need. And I’m hearing stories like this one every day, of our team’s amazing ability to deliver critical, life-saving care for our kids.
Every family we serve has experienced trauma and, in one way or another, lacks the stability that so many of us are able to take for granted. These families – these kids – rely on us, and we absolutely must be available to them during this time. We’re constantly balancing the needs of our families and staff, while meeting the latest health guidelines.
The work we do at Kaleidoscope does not stop, but the state and DCFS will not be covering the costs of vital supplies during this crisis. With the postponement of our fundraising event, the instability of our state funding, and the increased costs to keep vulnerable families safe, we need your support now more than ever.
Please give now to help us sustain our vital services in the community. Our kids are counting on us, and we cannot let them down.
Thank you,
Kathy
Kathy Grzelak, LCPC
Executive Director
Kaleidoscope, Inc.