As we approach the 40th anniversary of the founding of Kids’ Chance, we can reflect on a history of hard work and dedication; a decades-long effort that embraced a simple concept and turned it into a truly impactful reality. What started as a humble mission took on incredible momentum that today, is a thriving, nationwide movement.
The mission was direct and straightforward; “To give the kids of workers who have been critically or fatally injured on the job a chance at a better future.” It was, and largely continues to be, a true grassroots effort. It was 2008, 20 years after the founding of the first Kids’ Chance organization in Valdosta, GA, when volunteers from the existing state organizations gathered and formed Kids’ Chance of America, Inc.
This is where the concept started gaining true momentum. They recognized that to fully realize a nationwide presence, a singular national support organization must be created. That organization’s primary effort over the next two decades was to establish a Kids’ Chance presence in every US state, as well as to promote the brand and assist all state organizations financially and operationally.
Today, Kids’ Chance organizations are active in every state, and the momentum built over the past 20 years has transformed our mission into a true national movement with thousands of dedicated volunteers helping to change the trajectory of thousands of young lives. Last year alone, Kids’ Chance organizations collectively awarded 796 scholarships totaling over $3.9 million. Since 1988, Kids' Chance has awarded more than $46 million in scholarships to students whose families have been affected by a serious or fatal workplace injury.
Kids’ Chance of America continues to strengthen the nationwide network by increasing national awareness and support for the mission, connecting eligible students with state organizations through Planning for the Future, and providing the training, tools, and operational resources state organizations need to succeed.
I first became aware of Kids’ Chance in the spring of 2000. While exhibiting at a RIMS conference in Atlanta, Georgia, I met Doug McCoy, the “Johnny Appleseed” of the Kids’ Chance world. His enthusiasm for the cause was infectious, and it was an easy mission to embrace. My involvement with Kids’ Chance since that time has been one of the most profoundly rewarding experiences of my life.
The young people we serve demonstrate remarkable strength and determination. At an early age, they have already faced more adversity than many of us will experience in a lifetime. Yet, despite those circumstances—or perhaps because of them—they have developed the fortitude and grit to build better lives for themselves and their families. Multiply that determination by thousands, and you begin to understand the true scale of what we have built together. Many Kids’ Chance scholarship recipients go on to make an impact through successful careers and meaningful involvement in their communities, further extending the reach and strength of the Kids’ Chance movement.
Kids’ Chance has become a movement that matters—one that has grown beyond its original mission. Thousands of dedicated volunteers across the country understand the importance of this work, and together, we continue to grow and evolve. If you are not yet part of this movement, you are missing an extraordinary opportunity. I encourage you to contact a Kids’ Chance organization in your state today.
Join our movement.
Add to our momentum.
Support our mission.
You’ll change lives forever. And you may change your own as well.
