You must be the change you want to see in the
world. ~Mahatma Gandhi
Phoenix Children’s Project assists children living below
poverty level in Phoenix, AZ. Currently there are 350 families and 1,000
children enrolled in our programs.
So how did it get started?
Probably an orchestrated effort that included many people and community leaders, who spent a lot of time conceptualizing and executing the plan, right?
Wrong.
Phoenix Children’s Project serves many of the youth in our
community, but this was not a result of an effort by a large team, and there was no
intricately designed plan. It is a genuine grassroots charity that started with
one act of kindness.
In 1997, Mary Frieling took two kids, Lilly and Larry, back-to-school
shopping as a part of a Boys and Girls Clubs volunteer event. She drove Lilly
and Larry home and was shocked to see the dilapidated house in which their grandparents
were raising them. Mary was upset to see they lived in squalor, and it stuck
with her after she left.
When she went back to visit the children she brought them food,
clothes, and other necessities. She even took the kids trick-or-treating on
Halloween. She couldn’t help but treat the family as her own. When neighboring families took notice of the
support Mary provided Lilly and Larry, they asked her for help. So she
did, out of her own pocket and donations. These first few acts of kindness led
to more.
Soon, Mary was providing assistance to 50 families. Her
dedication to the mothers and children was so grand that she recruited friends,
family, and even her employers to help with donations of food boxes, children’s
clothes, money, and other supplies. Over the following years, her reach spanned
100 families.
A friend suggested that Mary start a non-profit group and start
raising some serious money and really help these kids. And
thus, Mary purchased the Non Profit Kit for Dummies, and in 2004, Phoenix Children’s Project was officially born.
Thank you Mary, for seeing something that wasn’t right in
the world, and for taking action. You are an inspiration to the families, to
the children, and especially to your community. Because of your vision and deeds, you have reached so many families, and potentially
changed the future for numerous children. Your legacy will not be forgotten nor taken for granted.
