Tuesday, November 27th is touted as the “official" international day of giving, and James & I feel that one of the most deserving non-profit organizations is the Frankie Lemmon School (FLS).
As many of you know, our son Peter attends FLS here in Raleigh. He is now in his third year in the program. The Frankie Lemmon School is a tuition-free, full day preschool program for children 3-6 years old with developmental delays. For over 50 years, FLS has changed the lives of children and families in our community by providing a tuition-free, superior education for children with special needs.
FLS is helping Peter make tremendous progress developmentally and socially. The school provides physical, occupational, speech, vision and music therapy during a typical day, which have all contributed immensely to the progress he has made. Peter truly loves going to school each day and gives me huge smiles when I talk about his classroom and friends he has made there.
Since starting Frankie Lemmon, we have seen marked improvement in how Peter is able to communicate, interact with peers, and enjoy each day like a typical preschooler. Peter now has a communication device and the full team is working very hard to help him use it effectively. The device allows him to better participate in their morning meeting and make choices about his day. I can only imagine what it’s like to know what you want, but not be able to tell anyone. When Peter is actually able to make choices and people understand what he wants, he smiles from ear to ear. What a gift!
FLS is not only changing Peter’s life but ours as well. We feel a strong calling to ensure other children and families who follow us on a similar journey have the same opportunities we did. To that end, we humbly ask you to consider supporting what we believe is a very worthy cause. Even here in Wake County where the resources are numerous, the needs are immense and FLS is the only program of its kind.
The school only receives funding from the state for about 25% of each student’s tuition, so the remaining $21,000 per year must be raised by private fundraising. Support for this campaign will not only enable the school to continue growing and providing a vital resource to the community, but it will also allow FLS to have the resources the children need to reach their full potential, whatever that might be!
We humbly ask you to consider supporting the Frankie Lemmon School on Giving Tuesday this year. Thank you so much for your support!
Melissa & James
