Your generosity helped bring countless smiles on children's faces this year!  Over 350 children and families attended this year's 16^th Annual Back-to-School Celebration at the Dallas Market Center on August 24^th.  Children enjoyed an afternoon of carnival-like fun as they celebrated heading back-to-school and received a brand new backpack filled with school supplies.  In addition, when children arrived back to their shelter, they received a new school uniform or outfit from their kind-hearted and anonymous Rainbow Days friend.  A HUGE thank you goes to ALL of the GENEROUS supporters, donors and volunteers who made this year's Back-to-School and Fall Harvest projects a success.  Special thanks to the following groups who contributed:  Accenture, Association Works, AT&T Telecom Pioneers - Ginger Oaks Club, Bear Transportation Services, Inc., Cheers for Charity, CitiFinancial Mortgage, Dallas Market Center, FedEx Corp., FedEx/Kinko's, Jones Day, JP Morgan Chase-Adelante, Match.com, Mom's Best Friend, National Charity League, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, Office Depot National Backpack Program, Spring Creek Community Church, Stonebriar Community Church, & Thompson & Knight Foundation.

 

Rainbow Days appreciates our Executive Board of Directors who serve our organization so faithfully and generously throughout the year.  We would like to thank the following outgoing 2006-2007 officers for their outstanding service to Rainbow Days: Jim Winblood, outgoing President and Will Ridgway, outgoing First Vice President.  We salute both of these outstanding Board members for their service to Rainbow Days and are pleased that they will continue to serve on our Board as general members throughout this next year.  We welcome aboard our incoming 2008-2009 officers: Jessica Thorne, President; Eric Appel, First Vice President; Fred Halfpap, Second Vice President; Greg Pascuzzi, Treasurer; Stephanie Lewis-Bullitt, Secretary.

 

Rainbow Days is grateful to be one of the 97 selected United Way of Metropolitan Dallas partner agencies.  As the United Way campaign kicks off into full gear this fall, we would like to thank all of the generous donors who give to United Way and encourage you to "spread the word" at your workplace about the good things that United Way is doing in our community.  Your gift can be designated to the community fund, to a specific United Way partner agency or to one of the two special initiatives.  By giving to United Way, you are helping to support "what matters most" in our community.  Thank  you for your ongoing support!

 

As we all know, it's very important to learn how to lose gracefully.  Disappointment after all is a part of life.  And although winning is an incredible thrill we all "lose" more in life than we win. 

 

With school starting and kids trying out for a variety of different school activities there will unfortunately be some disappointment to deal with.  So how can we help them cope?

 

Listen - try not to judge ("you could have practiced more") or solve ("maybe you can try out again"), just listen to your child's feelings.

 

Acknowledge their feelings - try stating back to your child what you're hearing them say "You worked really hard for this and you're very disappointed."

 

Offer help - very simply ask them if there is any way you can help.