ORGANIZATIONS

First Chance Foundation provides support to soundly-managed non-profit organizations on the front line of helping children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. We are unique in that we are project-based --- providing financial support to organizations based on an identified project. We do not simply write checks to an organization. We want to ensure donors that every dollar of their contribution to the First Chance Foundation is going directly to helping a child in need. We have provided support to more than 30 organizations in San Antonio and surrounding areas in the Texas Hill Country. Below are just a few of the organizations we support:

SJRC TEXAS

SJRC Texas, formerly known as St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, cares for children and families who have been affected by trauma, abuse and neglect, and have been removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Protective Services. They are a safe haven and offer help and hope to begin the journey of healing.

ROY MAAS YOUTH ALTERNATIVES

Roy Maas Youth Alternatives is restoring hope, one child at a time. RMYA creates brighter futures for children in crisis by promoting individual success and healthy relationships in a safe, healing environment, giving children and families the tools to end the cycle of abuse.

WAKE THE WORLD TEXAS

Wake the World Texas provides children from multiple homes the opportunity to spend a day on the lake. Each year they recruit boat owners to treat children to a lake experience many of them have never had. The day is spent skiing, wake boards, tubing, etc.

THE T3 PROJECT

Totes for Tots and Teens (Project T³) Inc. is a non-profit organization to benefit the unfortunate, but very much-loved children who end up in Foster Care. Until Project T3 was established, foster children in the Southeastern Indiana area were given a garbage bag to put their belongings in when being removed from their home. This project provides these children with an overnight bag of their very own to transport their belongings. Inside the bag they are also given a few age-appropriate personal items that might make their transition a little easier.

HOUSTON CHILDREN'S CHARITY

Houston Children's Charity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Greater Houston’s underprivileged, abused, and disabled children who have been otherwise left behind. The scope of their support is limited only by the availability of resources. Their goal is to leave no legitimate request for assistance unanswered.

STAND UP FOR KIDS

StandUp For Kids is a nationally recognized non-profit charity with a San Antonio group that works directly with homeless youth. They are empowering homeless and at-risk youth toward lifelong personal growth, and to create in these youth a sincere belief in themselves through open, straightforward counseling, mentoring, and life-skills training.

CLARITY CHILD

GUIDANCE CENTER

Clarity Child Guidance Center exists to transform the lives of children and families. They are the only non-profit mental health treatment center specializing in children ages 3-17 in San Antonio and South Texas. Their inpatient and outpatient programs include a range of services including crisis stabilization, psychiatric evaluations, and ongoing therapy.

AQUAS

AQUAS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth that have proven themselves academically, are involved in their high school and community activities and have the passion to play their sport at the next level. They identify high school athletes that are excelling in their academic pursuits yet may not be recognized by college coaches.

CONNECTIONS

Connections Individual and Family Services is a 501 (c) 3 private, non-profit organization founded by a group of community leaders in 1981 to provide a safe and secure alternative to the “streets” for homeless, abused, or at-risk youth. Connections was founded in New Braunfels but has since expended to offer services in 17 rural counties.

DAY 1 BAGS

The mission of Day 1 Bags is to provide brand new duffle bags and backpacks to foster youth instead of trash bags as luggage when being removed from their homes or moved from shelter to shelter.

Over 500 children enter the foster care system each day and most of them may be removed from their home with their belongings stuffed in a trash bag. These children have been neglected and often feel like they don’t matter. A Day 1 Bag gives children entering foster care a sense of dignity and hope. Each bag is of the highest quality with room for their only treasures. Dignity, not trash, is what we believe is needed during this difficult time.

PROVISIONS

Provisions is a nonprofit food pantry located in the Texas Hill Country, serving neighbors who are lacking life’s immediate necessities. Founded in 1991 by an alliance of three local churches, the founders recognized a tremendous need for a community service organization to help those struggling in the community with emergency assistance for food, clothing, utilities, and other needs during personal crises. Although each church was ministering to those in need, they knew that together they could serve more people more efficiently and with more impact than they could individually.

CHILD ADVOCATES SAN ANTONIO (CASA)

CASA is a non-profit with a mission to recruit, develop and lead highly impactful court-appointed volunteer Advocates who provide constancy and support for children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect.

They achieve their mission through advocacy for services, supportive connections, and permanency, while emphasizing family reunification when possible.

HIS BRIDGE BUILDERS

HIS BridgeBuilders-San Antonio is a 501 (c) (3) transforming urban communities through education, health, employment, and spiritual development for the glory of God. The ministry was established in 2006. The work is centered on the near east side of San Antonio in the East Meadows area of the city. The community in which they serve is economically challenged with a per capita income of only $7500 as compared to $21,500 for the remainder of San Antonio. 74.7% of the children in their neighborhood are living below the federal poverty level.

DONORSCHOOSE.ORG

Donors Choose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education. Their team has vetted and fulfilled over 1.7 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to books with diverse characters.

CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE

OF SOUTH TEXAS

The Children’s Alliance of South Texas has provided services to children and their non-offending caregivers since October 2013. The children who visit Children’s Alliance of South Texas have endured a lot in their young lives: physical and sexual abuse; the witnessing of a crime; exploitation through the Internet; child pornography; risk of abuse and/or neglect or human trafficking.

CHOSEN

Chosen is a non-profit helping children heal from trauma by strengthening foster, kinship, adoptive, and reunified families.

Chosen’s clinical offerings, model of care, and trainings are proven methods for preventing foster and kinship disruptions, as well as adoption dissolution.

PATHWAYS

Established in 1992, Pathways Youth and Family Services’ mission of transforming lives, families, and communities has been successful, by providing foster care and adoption services to more than 10,000 children and permanently placing an additional 4,000 more with a forever family. Pathways fulfills its vision of thriving children, resilient families, and strong communities through a holistic delivery of well-developed and appropriate services.

THE HOME FOR

LITTLE WANDERERS

The Home for Little Wanderers is a non-profit helping build stable lives and hopeful futures for children who are abused, neglected or at-risk. Each year, their community-based programs and residences meet the needs of more than 15,000 diverse youngsters and family members. These children are often society’s most vulnerable, victims of trauma, violence or shattered family lives. The Home for Little Wanderers is the oldest child welfare agency in America.