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2021 | ANNUAL REPORT R“HopeKids has benefitted our family with the events offered that help keep our focus off the challenges of life and instead remind us that we are not alone and that there is always hope!” - Kedron and Rubi, Jordyn and Kedron II’s, dad and momAs we began 2021, we were determined to serve our HopeKids community no matter what the future held. We learned a lot in 2020 and were hopeful that we would not just find a way to return to normal, but that we would find ways to grow as an organization and make it through the pandemic even stronger. Our decisions have always been made with the goal of better serving our HopeKids community, regardless of COVID-19. I’m pleased to share that we are in an even better position now to impact our families and bring them hope year-round. One of the most significant decisions we made is expanding our staff so that we can be ready for future growth. We created and hired for the position of Director of Operations by bringing our highly experienced Executive Director from Arizona, Kimberly Trichel, to our National team. This new role allows us to increase our support for current and future chapters as we look to impact more families across the country. Next, a major discovery from the pandemic was the importance of virtual events. This is a critical program for families who are periodically isolated so they can still have events to look forward to, and access to the HopeKids community. With this in mind, our board approved the creation of a National Program Administrator position for 2022. This position will oversee and grow our virtual programming, while also taking the lead on other national programming initiatives. We’re excited to expand our virtual reach across chapters! Along with these strategic changes in 2021, we stayed committed to providing hope to the remarkable families in our community. Having fun, free events on the calendar brings such joy to HopeKids families who often face hard times in and out of hospitals and treatment clinics. In total, we hosted 2,443 events during 2021, giving them something positive to look forward to each week. This was only possible thanks to our generous and dedicated donors, event partners, and volunteers. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for people, like you, who have been a part of our mission to restore hope and transform lives. Thank you for having a lasting impact on the families we serve both now and as we look ahead to the future! With Hope, JOSH TAYLOR President PRESIDENT’S LETTERWE EXIST TO RESTORE HOPE AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF CHILDREN WITH LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE SERVE. Our Mission HopeKids provides ongoing events, activities and a powerful, unique support community for families who have a child with cancer or some other life-threatening medical condition. We surround these remarkable children and their families with the message that HOPE IS A POWERFUL MEDICINE.Our Guiding Principles Our vision, mission and motivation are driven by our desire to serve in the name of Jesus Christ in response to and out of our gratitude to God. (Colossians 3:17) It is through God’s love and the eternal hope we find in Jesus that we want to love and offer hope to those in need. We cling to the promise that “Hope does not disappoint.” (Romans 5:5) We also believe that hope comes from God, and provides joy and peace in a way that nothing else can. These biblical truths form our belief that hope is a powerful medicine, and all our activities, resources, and time are to be directed to restoring hope for the future to the children and families we serve. We strive to promote integrity, honesty, and openness in the manner in which we conduct our daily financial and management operations. We will be good stewards of all resources that God has blessed us with. The HopeKids program is open to all children with life-threatening medical conditions and their families without regard to background, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, or sexual orientation.Board of Directors Steve Whiteman - Board Chair * Former Chairman, CEO and President of Viasoft, Inc. Scottsdale, AZ Lupe Nesbitt - Treasurer * Controller, BioLab Sciences Scottsdale, AZ John Jacobs - Secretary * CIO, JE Dunn Construction Kansas City, MO David Chapman - Director * Vice President, HelmsBriscoe Scottsdale, AZ Joe Birkholz - Director * Chief Risk Officer, Bridgewater Bank Minneapolis, MN Josh Taylor - Director President, HopeKids Minneapolis, MN * Indicates volunteer independent voting member Staff National Josh Taylor, President Kimberly Trichel, Director of Operations Molly Cash, Enrollment Manager Michelle Cassens, National Program Manager Nicole Dahl, Marketing & Communications Manager Amy Whiteman, Donor Stewardship Manager Arizona Chapter Andrea Lewis, Executive Director Kelly Schindler, Program Manager Olga Valdez, Family & Community Manager Colorado Chapter Howie Hutchinson, Executive Director Lisa Sweeney, Program Director Robbin Brown, Family & Community Manager Kansas City Chapter Kristin Castle, Executive Director Ashley Williams, Program Manager Middle Tennessee Chapter Deb Sandvik, Executive Director Leslie Murphy, Program Manager Minnesota Chapter Brian Anderson, Executive Director Brianna Watke, Program Director Ariel Lindahl, Family & Community Manager North Texas Chapter Bridget Asheim, Executive Director Rachel Wyatt, Program Manager Vanessa Rodriguez, Family & Community Manager OUR PEOPLEImpacting the families we serve is always at the heart of HopeKids’ decision-making. After focusing primarily on a virtual program out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, we began 2021 with a growth mindset. It was evident that the virtual program was essential to HopeKids families so that they could continue to participate in events even when they experienced extended hospital stays or had to self-isolate due to their child’s compromised immune system. We expanded our staff to include a Director of Operations in preparation for future chapter growth and the board approved the creation of a role to manage our virtual program. By making strategic decisions in anticipation of growth, we are better prepared for the need families with a child with a life-threatening medical condition have for hope and a community of others who understand what they are going through. Thank you for faithfully giving, volunteering and partnering with us. Your continued support during this season of growth does not go unnoticed and will provide so much hope to families who need it most. Hope is a powerful medicine! HOPE GROWS“HopeKids has given my family a chance to do things that we would have never been able to do otherwise. Joshua is proud to be a HopeKid. HopeKids helps balance the difficult stuff with amazing opportunities to look forward to. We have also met some wonderful friends who understand the difficulties we all face. During the good times and the bad, HopeKids is a huge blessing to our family by supporting us during each step of the journey.” HOPE AND ANTICIPATION HopeKids hosts highly-anticipated, free, fun events for families who have a child with a life-threatening medical condition. From live entertainment to private movie screenings, and amusement parks to sporting events, we offer a wide variety of activities for the whole family. We want to keep children and their families focused on the future rather than dwelling on what they are dealing with now. COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT HopeKids builds programs with the goal of drawing families together. We provide a unique, supportive, and recreational environment for connection, sharing, and encouragement. Our events foster lasting friendships and support among people who share similar challenges. Our families report that nothing is more powerful than one sick child meeting another who has recovered from the same condition. No HopeKids family is alone on this difficult journey. IMPACT AREAS FAMILY FOCUS At HopeKids, our events and activities bring a family together when circumstances tend to pull them apart. Our events offer fun for all family members; allowing them to spend much needed time together-- even parent date nights. All events are focused on the whole family and provide opportunities to look forward to the future. We help create memories during a time that brings situations our families might otherwise wish to forget. SAFETY AND ACCEPTANCE Many of our events are held privately providing a safe, healthy environment away from large, public crowds. Public spaces are a problem for our immune- suppressed kids; minimizing exposure both protects them and reduces parental stress. Additionally, in HopeKids’ supportive peer community, no child is the only one wearing a mask or using a wheelchair. At HopeKids, everyone belongs. ECONOMIC SUPPORT The all-consuming demands of a life-threatening childhood illness often overwhelms other resources like time, energy, or the initiative for planning. Paying for and planning social activities isn’t realistic or feasible for most of our families. HopeKids alleviates these challenges by providing events that are pre- organized and available free of charge to the whole family.Next >