Thank You From Side By Side

Caring Clowns International recently awarded a $3,500 donation to the Side By Side Early Children’s Development Program in Aliwal North, South Africa.

Side By Side (formerly Second Table Ministries), a 13 year old nonprofit located in Poulsbo, WA, provides life changing resources for disadvantaged families and children in rural areas of Aliwal North and Sebokeng, South Africa. The $3,500 Caring Clowns International grant will be used to help continue the early childhood development care of 100+ children ages infant to five years old.

Side By Side’s President, Wendell Verduin, wrote to us….”You’ve helped the kids and teachers at Aliwai North keep going during some very tough times. They, we, appreciate you more than you can know.”

His note was accompanied by this wonderful picture of smiling faces!

Caring Clowns International has been connected with and supported Side by Side for several years. We became aware of Side By Side through a Rotary presentation. Since that time, we have been involved in supporting them and their president in various ways, including grants for their programs. This is our second grant to them for their Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program.

Our first grant was to support the ECD program in the purchase of materials to “Brilliant Boxes.”

The Brilliant Box is an ECD tool for children from birth to five years. It includes beanbags, shapes, blocks, crochet, paint and brushes, music and instruments, color crayons, puzzles, counting charts, play dough / clay, scissors and glue. The boxes help equip educators and home mothers to stimulate children. The program improves children’s intellectual, physical, social and emotional and creative development.