WONDERFUL OPTIONS FUND IN ACTION

Your Donations in the Community

You’re a working mother with a quiet, sometimes sullen teen and spring break is approaching. You can’t afford to take time off. Fortunately, thanks to a Women of Fearrington grant, Communities in Schools of Chatham County has planned a week of structured enrichment activities for your son and his peers. The highlight is an outing to Sky Zone Trampoline Park, followed by the “Breakout Room.”

Your son is generally quiet in group settings and often hesitant to engage with others. But during this CISCC Breakout Room experience, something shifts. Faced with a series of team-based challenges, he begins offering ideas, asking questions, and encouraging others. With support from a CISCC staff member, he takes on a leadership role within his group, helping them stay organized and focused. When the team successfully completes the challenge, his excitement is immediate and genuine. Afterward, he shares, “I didn’t think I could help like that.”

In the actual story, the mother gratefully reported her son came home energized, more confident, and proud of himself in a way she had not seen before. Just as important, she described the peace of mind she felt knowing he was safe, supported by caring adults, and engaged in something meaningful.  

“Danielle” was navigating a difficult separation from her spouse, marked by emotional and financial control. She was able to secure a tiny apartment, but it consumed half her income, and her three children –– and a fourth child for whom she cared informally –– remained in the home with the abusive partner. 

Thanks to a Women of Fearrington grant, Danielle was able to cover critical expenses for her children and herself, including utilities, groceries, and the cell phone bill that ensured she could maintain communication with her children and employer. Danielle remained safely housed, continued moving toward long-term stability, and began to rebuild her life.