Children see magic because they look for it.” - Christopher Moore
A Note from Chief Executive Officer, L. Robert Bolling

The Greater Richmond community is in dichotomous time. Our economy is gaining strength, and we look forward to the holiday season of thanks. At the same time, we have lost too many children to violence. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of the children whose lives were tragically and needlessly cut short.

Acts of violence and death coupled with the anxiety, isolation, and stress caused by the pandemic and the return to "normal" has placed an enormous strain on many children, parents, caregivers, teachers, and child care professionals we serve.

A person's response to certain acts and reminders of trauma are influenced by the intensity and frequency of those events in their daily life. You, your child, your coworker, your friend, your neighbor, may all have vastly different but understandable reactions to the same event. We know this, but it is especially important to remember in times like these.

We can buffer the adverse impacts of trauma by investing in the social and emotional well-being of our community's children. The result is resilience, a tool to help us overcome the worst of things.

The demand for ChildSavers' services, both in mental health and child development, is reaching an all-time high. We are striving to meet these needs, and in doing so, are also asking our team to take the more difficult path - stretching even further and digging deeper. We invite you to join in the effort with your support. Thank you.
📅 Save the Date: Giving Tuesday with ChildSavers
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving to your favorite nonprofits - like ChildSavers!

Please help us reach our goal of $11,500 on Giving Tuesday, November 30, to increase our service capacity and unlock gifts from our matching donors: Judy & David Pahren, Tamra & Jeffrey Wilt, Ginny & Riker Purcell, Anke & Russ Jackson, Joyalin & L. Robert Bolling, and Mitchell Wiggins.

Please save the date and consider giving your best gift on November 30.
Resource Round-Up

  • Read: Teaching Young Children Empathy: 3 Simple Steps (3-minute read)

  • Watch: What Is Play Therapy? As Explained by a Play Therapist (2-minute video)

  • Listen: How Trauma Lodges Itself in The Body (50-minute podcast episode by On Being Project)

  • We have multiple free and fee-based Trauma and Resilience Training opportunities coming up. Register here!

We want to take a moment to thank you. Thank you for reading this newsletter. Thank you for donating to support our services. Thank you for taking part in our trainings. Thank you for being part of our community.

Child care partner, Shemik Sellars, says: "I know it takes a village to raise a child. And I want to be a part of people’s village.”

Your continual support is connecting children to trusted adults who are helping to guide our communities' children through life's critical moments. Thank you for your support in empowering children to be their most resilient, healthiest selves.

Happy Thanksgiving!