Donation protected
All,
As many of you may already be aware, Connie Middleman(Mrs. Connie) of St. Viator's afterschool program Kid Care was not able to return this year due to COVID-19.
What you may not be aware of is how unexpected, disruptive and devastating this turn of events has been for Mrs. Connie. As an at-risk individual, she was forced to literally choose between the program that she has spent over a decade building or putting her life itself in very real jeopardy. Her husband has also lost his livelihood due to COVID as well.
I came to find this out earlier this week, when she, in true Mrs. Connie fashion, came to my house to drop off pictures from last year of my daughter playing with her friends at Kid Care. Mrs. Connie never had the opportunity to say goodbye to the kids she has loved and cared for and she took it upon herself to find a way.
I remember first meeting Mrs. Connie when my daughter started at Kid Care. Mrs. Connie asked me who I was and then matter-of-factly asked my daughter if I was her father. That was last time she ever asked. From that time on, she recognized me, whether I was wearing a hat or sunglasses, work or home clothes. She would only glance up through the door window when the doorbell rang and call for my daughter. If my daughter was in the homework room or playground or bathroom, Mrs. Connie invariably knew exactly where she was. How she was able to do this for each of the 80+ kids and their guardians, every day without fail is beyond my comprehension; all I can say is I knew Mrs. Connie was keeping our children safe like no one I had ever seen before.
As impressive as that was, I know that that dedication to safety was born out of something equally cherished -- genuine heartfelt love for our kids. Mrs. Connie put everything she had into the Kid Care program. All of the art supplies, every game, every toy the children played with were her own, often times paid out of her own pocket, a struggle every teacher is familiar with.
Beyond Kid Care, Mrs. Connie has been involved with St. Viator for essentially her entire life. She is a St. Viator graduate, her daughter is a graduate, and even her granddaughter was enrolled. She was the first instructor of the school computer program that still exists today, over 30 years later. She is an active parishioner and lives only blocks away as she has ever since she was 5 years old.
I contacted Mrs. Connie to ask her permission to set up this GoFundMe and her immediate reaction was typically selfless; she felt that there were so many others that needed help more than she did. She wondered if she were deserving of anyone's generosity.
I could not disagree more. After a lifetime of dedication and service to St. Viator, all of the children Mrs. Connie has guided and watched over, the St. Viator community needs the opportunity to be able to express our appreciation. While COVID prevents us from giving her the farewell she deserves, I hope this can ease her and her family's difficulties from this early and unexpected departure and serve as thank you for the decades of caring and commitment to our children.
On a final note -- Mrs. Connie was most worried about people feeling compelled to contribute when they themselves might be struggling, and so I want to also say that a few kind words in the comments about Mrs. Connie's impact is just as valued and equal a contribution. Please take a moment to share this with your friends and neighbors and thank you for reading!
As many of you may already be aware, Connie Middleman(Mrs. Connie) of St. Viator's afterschool program Kid Care was not able to return this year due to COVID-19.
What you may not be aware of is how unexpected, disruptive and devastating this turn of events has been for Mrs. Connie. As an at-risk individual, she was forced to literally choose between the program that she has spent over a decade building or putting her life itself in very real jeopardy. Her husband has also lost his livelihood due to COVID as well.
I came to find this out earlier this week, when she, in true Mrs. Connie fashion, came to my house to drop off pictures from last year of my daughter playing with her friends at Kid Care. Mrs. Connie never had the opportunity to say goodbye to the kids she has loved and cared for and she took it upon herself to find a way.
I remember first meeting Mrs. Connie when my daughter started at Kid Care. Mrs. Connie asked me who I was and then matter-of-factly asked my daughter if I was her father. That was last time she ever asked. From that time on, she recognized me, whether I was wearing a hat or sunglasses, work or home clothes. She would only glance up through the door window when the doorbell rang and call for my daughter. If my daughter was in the homework room or playground or bathroom, Mrs. Connie invariably knew exactly where she was. How she was able to do this for each of the 80+ kids and their guardians, every day without fail is beyond my comprehension; all I can say is I knew Mrs. Connie was keeping our children safe like no one I had ever seen before.
As impressive as that was, I know that that dedication to safety was born out of something equally cherished -- genuine heartfelt love for our kids. Mrs. Connie put everything she had into the Kid Care program. All of the art supplies, every game, every toy the children played with were her own, often times paid out of her own pocket, a struggle every teacher is familiar with.
Beyond Kid Care, Mrs. Connie has been involved with St. Viator for essentially her entire life. She is a St. Viator graduate, her daughter is a graduate, and even her granddaughter was enrolled. She was the first instructor of the school computer program that still exists today, over 30 years later. She is an active parishioner and lives only blocks away as she has ever since she was 5 years old.
I contacted Mrs. Connie to ask her permission to set up this GoFundMe and her immediate reaction was typically selfless; she felt that there were so many others that needed help more than she did. She wondered if she were deserving of anyone's generosity.
I could not disagree more. After a lifetime of dedication and service to St. Viator, all of the children Mrs. Connie has guided and watched over, the St. Viator community needs the opportunity to be able to express our appreciation. While COVID prevents us from giving her the farewell she deserves, I hope this can ease her and her family's difficulties from this early and unexpected departure and serve as thank you for the decades of caring and commitment to our children.
On a final note -- Mrs. Connie was most worried about people feeling compelled to contribute when they themselves might be struggling, and so I want to also say that a few kind words in the comments about Mrs. Connie's impact is just as valued and equal a contribution. Please take a moment to share this with your friends and neighbors and thank you for reading!
Organizer
James Suh
Organizer
Chicago, IL