New nonprofit Fox Families Care quickly fulfilling mission to help students

When a Fox Chapel Area student couldn’t afford to get senior photos, the new nonprofit Fox Families Care stepped in to provide them.

The nonprofit also was there for a student who needed a new bed and hundreds of others who needed breakfast and lunch during the extended covid-19 remote schooling.

Fox Families Care (FFC) was organized to work directly with the Fox Chapel Area School District to help bridge the gap between needs and resources for children who need them, FFC Board Member Brooke Guyaux said.

The group targets needs as basic as school supplies, clothing, shoes and toiletries to more significant requests for eyeglasses and special education items. In some cases, donations help pay for applications or tuition assistance for trade schools, extracurricular fees or other school-related costs.

Get to know us and what we do!! Making an impact in your own community is the greatest gift of all. Here’s how you can help ⬇️https://t.co/CldwCtElck

— Fox Families Care (@Foxfamiliescare) December 3, 2020

In the district with vast wealth disparity, there are more than 800 students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Paulette O’Donnell, FFC founder and president, said 100% of donations are used to fulfill the group’s mission.

Collaborating with other established charities has enabled FFC to mobilize volunteers, boost the handouts and make sure financial resources are used effectively, O’Donnell said.

“Although our charity is still relatively new, we’ve been able to quickly develop very strong relationships that have helped us reach families with critical needs,” O’Donnell said.

Volunteers helped ensure a happy holiday for many students by participating in the district’s Angel Tree initiative. They solicited donations to grant 100% of the requests received and were able to provide 174 gifts that included clothing, toys and pillows.

A significant donation from the American Textile Company enabled the group to distribute 362 bed sheet sets and pillows.

“I met a woman who was in tears, thanking me for what Fox Families Care has done to help her grandchildren throughout the year,” Guyaux said.

This year we are especially grateful for the efforts of @Foxfamiliescare to meet the needs of our FC families!!! From backpacks to bedding to meals and holiday presents during a very tough year, we are thankful for their time, their kindness, and their care for FC students! pic.twitter.com/vpVXqtrI4I

— FCAHS Counseling (@FCAHScounselors) December 22, 2020

Volunteers have been establishing relationships with community groups to direct the help where it is most needed.

Throughout the pandemic, they worked with Backpack for Hunger to provide more than 10,000 meals to children who were missing school breakfasts and lunches.

“When there was a need for a bed for a local student, it was provided as well as new bedding,” Sharpsburg Family Worship Center Outreach Director Jamie Horne said.

“It is truly an amazing organization with lots of heart.”

Second Harvest Executive Director Bonnie DeMotte said FFC volunteers “came out religiously for months every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to help to feed our neighbors.

“I had a dream team of Fox Families Care volunteers every Tuesday that drove a caravan of pickup trucks to Butler to haul literally tons of groceries back to Sharpsburg to be packed and delivered the following day. These ladies were incredible to work with and so willing to help, no matter how hard the work.”

DeMotte said FFC was also an invaluable partner in the Dinners for Friends program through which $25,000 in dinners were purchased from local restaurants to feed hungry district residents.

“I’ve been blessed to see firsthand how hard they work to benefit our community and make it a more equitable place,” DeMotte said.

Families who need help can contact the school guidance counselor or email foxfamiliescare@gmail.com.

To donate or learn more about FFC, visit foxfamiliescare.org.