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2022 | ANNUAL REPORT“It feels like a warm hug every time we get a HopeKids event update in our email. For many, even close family and friends, our daily letdowns and disappointments, struggles and tears aren’t always on their radar. Thanks to HopeKids we feel special, and a part of a community that gets us.” - Jonathan, Levi’s dadWhen I think about 2022 and what it’s meant for HopeKids, the word “growth” comes to mind. Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, we saw growth in our programming, donations, and in-kind gifts. Like the rest of the nonprofit world, we are still working through the challenges and setbacks brought on by the last couple of years. However, because of the commitment of our staff, volunteers, event partners, and donors, I can say with confidence that 2022 was a good year for us. Notably, we had our first full year with a Director of Operations. This new role allows us to increase our support for both current and future chapters as we look to impact more families across the country. We also saw the growth of our virtual programming as we hired our first National Program Administrator to manage these events. We are now connecting HopeKids families and event partners across the United States! In addition, we planned and prepared to launch our newest chapter in North Carolina in 2023. We can’t wait to partner with you to bring hope to families in Charlotte. We also hosted 2,538 events across our existing chapters, giving families something positive to look forward to each week, and a community to lean on in hard seasons. We are profoundly grateful for people like you who have made all of this growth possible. We have many things to celebrate this year, but there is more to be done. Our mission to restore hope and transform lives means we will keep working to reach as many families across the country as possible. Thank you for having a lasting impact on the families we serve now and as we grow! 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 Judy Morgan - Director * VP SBA Manager, Oakwood Bank Dallas, Texas Josh Taylor - Director President, HopeKids Minneapolis, MN * Indicates volunteer independent voting member Staff National Josh Taylor, President Kimberly Trichel, Director of Operations Michelle Cassens, National Program Manager Nicole Duran, Marketing & Communications Manager Nicole Headding, National Program Administrator Amy Whiteman, Donor Stewardship Manager Arizona Chapter Andrea Lewis, Executive Director Shanna Ehrlich, Program Manager Olga Valdez, Family & Community Manager Colorado Chapter Robbin Brown, Executive Director Lisa Sweeney, Program Director Rachel Class, 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 Colleen Grizzle, Program Manager Vanessa Rodriguez, Family & Community Manager OUR PEOPLEMuch of 2022 was built upon the growth initiative that began years prior. With a National Program Administrator running our virtual program, families across HopeKids chapters had 110 calendar events they could participate in from their hospital rooms or homes. We also thoughtfully discussed plans for our seventh chapter, North Carolina, with a launch target of spring 2023. 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 while we continue to grow and expand the HopeKids mission does not go unnoticed and will provide so much hope to families who need it most. Hope is a powerful medicine! HOPE GROWSHOPE 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.“Being part of HopeKids gives us the opportunity to get to know other families that understand the challenges of having children with progressive disease. It also allows us to do activities that we wouldn’t be able to afford. We are thankful for the staff and community.” - Anna, Leif’s momNext >