eConnection
Community Newsletter | July 2020
Support Kids in Need
this Back-to-School Season
With school right around the corner, Rainbow Days needs your assistance to help over 1,200 at-risk and homeless children and youth in the Dallas community head back to school prepared for a successful year ahead !

We are currently collecting in-kind donations of school supplies and backpacks , which can be purchased via our Amazon Wish List and shipped directly to Rainbow Days' office.
All supplies donated will be distributed to: 700 children participating in our Family Connection program for homeless children living in 25+ shelters, domestic violence centers, transitional living sites and motels; and 500 students in our Community Connection program, which serves over 40 low-income schools, community centers and community-based sites in high-risk neighborhoods.

Additionally, if you are able, we would be grateful to count on your financial support as we anticipate purchasing additional school supplies and uniforms for the kids we serve. Donations in support of these back-to-school efforts can be made on our website . Your gift will give kids HOPE and confidence and prepare them for a successful school year ahead!
Partnership Shoutout:
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
We are incredibly grateful to announce that Rainbow Days has been awarded a COVID-19 Response grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to support our efforts to enrich the lives of vulnerable children and youth across Dallas.

During such a critical time in the world, this generous grant will help us meet kids’ mental health and tangible needs through the following relief services: interactive social-emotional learning care packages, educational summer camps for homeless children, monthly deliveries of food and household supplies for motel families, and virtual connections with at-risk youth.

Visit the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's website to learn more about its COVID-19 relief initiatives and impact.
Family Connection Spotlight:
Outdoor Adventure Camp
This July, Rainbow Days' Family Connection team was thrilled to host two weeks of Outdoor Adventure Camp for a combined total of more than 80 homeless children living in seven partnering shelters and three local motels.

At a partnering outdoor campsite in Midlothian, Rainbow Days took extensive safety precautions – including masks, hand sanitizer, regular surface cleaning, social distancing and small groups – to ensure that all campers could safely enjoy this special experience alongside their group leaders.

For children experiencing homelessness, COVID-19 has been particularly difficult due to shelter lockdowns and the lack of fun, safe and enriching summer activities. Because of this, the Family Connection team was incredibly grateful to be able to give Outdoor Adventure Camp participants the physical space to decompress and experience new things alongside positive adult role models .

Each day of camp, the children got the chance to try a variety of exciting outdoor recreation activities, including horseback riding , zip lining , fishing, longhorn feeding and swimming. Further, the 2020 Outdoor Adventure Camp expanded campers' educational horizons through interactive, hands-on STEM classes as well as visual and performing arts programming .

Special thanks are in order for the many supporters who made these camps possible through their generous financial gifts, including: Chi Omega Christmas Market , Lowe Foundation , Center for Disaster Philanthropy and TEGNA Foundation .
Community Connection Spotlight:
Virtual Connections
Due to the ongoing health crisis, Rainbow Days' Community Connection team is exploring ways to impact and virtually connect with the schools, students and communities it serves across the greater Dallas area.

Over the last few months, the team has worked with children and families through virtual check-ins and support groups on Google Hangouts and Zoom. In fact, one virtual platform in particular that has really taken off is Community Connection's team Instagram page, @rdikids .

Through this new Instagram account , the team is channeling their creativity as they promote healthy choices and a drug-free lifestyle . These outreach efforts have enabled the team to connect not only with current youth and partnering organizations but also with program participants of the past, many of whom have actively been sharing their own fond memories about being involved with Rainbow Days when they were kids.
Rainbow Days Training Spotlight:
CBSG® Facilitator Training
The Rainbow Days Training team will be hosting its next quarterly Curriculum-Based Support Group (CBSG®) Facilitator Training on Aug. 13 – virtually!

The CBSG® Facilitator Training prepares youth-serving professionals and volunteers to implement Rainbow Days' core support group model with fidelity in schools, shelters and community-based settings. Recognized nationally as a proven and effective prevention program, Rainbow Days' CBSG® Program is designed to increase resilience in children and youth experiencing adversity and trauma through the development of healthy social, emotional and coping skills in a caring support group setting .

The upcoming CBSG® Facilitator Training will be held virtually via Zoom on Aug. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve yours soon if you are interested in becoming a trained CBSG® Facilitator! All participants who complete the training will receive seven CEUs .
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