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Greetings Bread & Roses Community,
It’s a great honor to write this year’s scholarship letter, as a current parent and board member. Bread & Roses is especially meaningful to our family and supporting the vital work they do feels all the more significant this year.
We know that raising children is no simple task - and raising them to be kind, compassionate and mindful humans is another thing altogether. It truly does take a village. I’m quite certain the task would have felt insurmountable for our family over the past year had it not been for the Bread & Roses staff and community. To be honest, we wouldn’t have had access to this “village” without the scholarship funds provided by generous donors like you.
Last year our family needed full-time care for two children, covered by one full-time teacher salary. Bread & Roses was highly recommended (by many of you!) for many reasons but what cemented our decision was the sliding scale tuition, funded through scholarship donations. Our income was too high for outside assistance but not quite high enough to cover the full tuition. We were an anomaly. Thankfully, though, we weren’t turned away.
The scholarship funds offered us access to care - but, more importantly, they offered us the peace of mind that our kids weren’t just “at daycare”. Our children were learning, growing, and being nurtured by a caring staff - a staff who prioritizes their own learning and growth through continual professional development and achievement.
Gratitude doesn’t really begin to describe it. Maybe you know. Maybe you have a similar story.
The past few years have been difficult for many, and this school has not been exempt. COVID-related closures, urgent building repairs, and rising costs have all contributed to the financial challenges Bread & Roses currently faces. As a result, it is necessary for this program to rely on private donations in order to meet critical financial needs - while still offering sliding-scale tuition to families. Families like ours.
While some grant funding has been awarded (totaling $91,992!), the prospect of future awards is uncertain and these awards can only be allocated for specific use. The aging roof, for example, is not an approved use of these funds. While about half of the money for a new roof has been raised, the clock is ticking as this particular need edges closer to an emergency. Maybe updating the facility for future generations is a project you’d love to support.
This year our family is in different financial circumstances. We are thankful to no longer need the support of scholarship funds and we are excited to pay it forward to the next family in need. We hope you are too. You can make an online donation through PayPal by clicking the “Donate” link on our website breadandroseschildcare.com or by mailing a check to 915 Sunnock Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49001 (please return the enclosed slip with your mailed donation).
No matter the size or intent of your donation, we all have the opportunity to care for those who have cared so well for us. Our family is forever grateful for this place, and for you - current families and alumni alike - for the legacy you have left and continue to build; for the ways this village is supporting families and our collective future.
In Hope and Gratitude,
Beth Keller
If you would prefer to send a donation by check you can mail your donation to us at 915 Sunnock Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49001