Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude — feeling the life changing power of women united for good! AEYC Southeast Alaska just received the largest single outpouring of local citizen support in the history of the organization. The 100 Women Who Care group in Juneau contributed $20,700 to AEYC Southeast Alaska in August. The award was presented as an astounding bundle of $100 checks from individual members. These funds will have a bountiful impact on the lives of our youngest children and their families in Juneau.

[Juneau women band together to make a difference]

To get a glimpse of the far reaching impact of these contributions, the funds will provide Parents as Teachers home visits to 50 parents of newborns in Juneau, and enroll 100 newborns in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for monthly books –that is 1200 books! The funds will also enable the Parents as Teachers program to provide monthly literacy activity kits, technology support to connect families in need, and emergency support for diapers and bus passes for families in need with the funds, as well as offer a six week Circles of Security parenting series.

Nearly all parents experience high stress. Now parents are more isolated than ever. The Parents as Teachers program is proven to help prevent child abuse and neglect. Parents in the AEYC Juneau program consistently report reduced stress, increased knowledge of child development, increased ability to support their child, increased reading and talking with their child, and increased connection to other parents and community supports. Children enrolled in the Imagination Library are read to far more frequently and enter kindergarten better prepared.

The 100 Women Who Care is a group of inspiring women who care deeply about the community. They each commit to 1 hour four times a year selecting a non-profit together, and to write a $100 check to the non-profit organization that receives the highest number of votes from members.

Their mission is to support local non-profits in their efforts to make the Juneau community a great place to live. There are now over 200 members strong, and growing. Find out more about the 100 Women Who Care group at https://www.100wwcjnu.org/.Sign up for Parents as Teachers or the Imagination Library at http://www.aeyc-sea.org/.

Joy Lyon,

Executive Director for Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children