Kids Unlimited believes no child should be forgotten this holiday season. Together, we can give them a reason to hope.

“Our goal is to make every child feel special,” said Tom Cole, KU founder and CEO. “Memories of the holidays are so important to a child.”

Hope for the Holidays is KU’s annual campaign to support our most vulnerable children and families — nearly 1,200 in Southern Oregon. Please help us ease their everyday struggles with some simple, seasonal gifts.

A board game can lighten the mood of a family whose financial burdens weigh heavily. A few cookies and cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows can feel like a luxury. Together, we can give families who experience poverty all year a reason to smile and believe in their community’s generosity and kindness.

“It’s incredible to see children, who often have very little, light up with happiness to find a toy, new clothing or a special meal they love to eat,” said Cole.

One-hundred percent of the donations KU receives directly benefit those in need, providing groceries, supplying clothes, furnishing homes and spreading cheer. When we make Christmas trees or festive meals possible, we help to make the Unlimited possible.

“Regardless of circumstances, we can make sure our neediest children and families are not forgotten,” said Cole.

Here’s how you can give Hope for the Holidays:

  • Meals delivered to our families for whom adequate nourishment is a challenge;
  • Grocery bags of food to fill empty refrigerators and pantries;
  • Gift cards for toiletries, household items, groceries and gas;
  • New, warm blankets and bedding to cuddle children to sleep;
  • New, warm clothes for children and youth of all sizes;
  • New coats, hats, undergarments and socks for children and youth of all sizes;
  • New toys, books, puzzles and games to brighten our children’s holidays.

Keep the holiday spirit alive all year with a monthly, recurring donation

These regular monetary commitments to Kids Unlimited’s mission renew the organization’s hope each month in our community’s generosity. It’s easy to set up a recurring donation in any amount using the secure payment system at the link below.

Pledge $5 each month to buy a student’s lunch, or $25 for an entire week of lunches. Larger monthly donations keep our charter school classrooms stocked with supplies, engage our families with educational activities and boost our scholarship fund for graduating high school seniors. Go to kuoregon.org/hope

Make it a recurring donation, and you help make the Unlimited possible!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Single dad of 2 girls requests warm clothes, outerwear

KU Director of Educational Services Lupita Vargas wraps gifts for families in need.

Homeless “half the time,” two young girls need clothing, shoes and toys to replace items lost in the wake of their parents’ separation.

Meals and school routines at Kids Unlimited Academy help the third- and fourth-grade sisters to maintain a sense of normalcy when they stay with their mom. During those weeks, charter school staff notice the girls’ clothes are in disarray or unsuited to the weather. And they’re always hungry, although they eat breakfast and lunch at school. The girls’ mother is unhoused, typically seeking shelter with family and friends, said their dad, who has custody.

“I don’t know where they’re at or who they’re with or who’s watching them,” he said.

The 44-year-old man works but has been financially burdened for a year and a half following a motorcycle accident. Riding without insurance, he lost his driver’s license and his job and left his daughters’ mother — his partner of 10 years — all in the same week. He lives with his mother in a rural area near White City. Since his license has been reinstated, he’s worked remodeling homes and hopes to soon finish paying off more than $2,500 in court fines and fees.

“I got so far behind in a year,” he said. “It’s just been hard to catch up.”

But he enjoys time with his daughters in nature. Each girl could use a sturdy pair of boots, in sizes 1 and 4, for hiking and playing in the snow.

“We go on adventures,” said the girls’ dad.

Warm hats, gloves and snow pants would augment new school clothes — pants, tops and dresses — in girls’ sizes 7/8 and 9/10. The older girl is tall and thin and often has a hard time finding pants that are long enough.

To ensure the girls have enough to eat during weeks with their mom, school staff are requesting snack donations, including granola bars, trail mix and other shelf-stable items. Instead of being cared for, the girls instead try to care for their mom, whose instability results in missed holidays and special events, their dad said.

Simple childhood games, however, still interest the girls, their dad said, requesting Nerf guns to replace the ones lost in their parents’ separation. On their rural property, the family can leave behind their daily cares to run, hide, wander and explore.

To make a monetary contribution to this family’s holiday, click over to our online donation page. To donate tangible items, call 541-774-3900 or email sarah.lemon@kuaoregon.org

Single dad of 2 girls requests warm clothes, outerwear

KU Director of Educational Services Lupita Vargas wraps gifts for families in need.

Homeless “half the time,” two young girls need clothing, shoes and toys to replace items lost in the wake of their parents’ separation.

Meals and school routines at Kids Unlimited Academy help the third- and fourth-grade sisters to maintain a sense of normalcy when they stay with their mom. During those weeks, charter school staff notice the girls’ clothes are in disarray or unsuited to the weather. And they’re always hungry, although they eat breakfast and lunch at school. The girls’ mother is unhoused, typically seeking shelter with family and friends, said their dad, who has custody.

“I don’t know where they’re at or who they’re with or who’s watching them,” he said.

The 44-year-old man works but has been financially burdened for a year and a half following a motorcycle accident. Riding without insurance, he lost his driver’s license and his job and left his daughters’ mother — his partner of 10 years — all in the same week. He lives with his mother in a rural area near White City. Since his license has been reinstated, he’s worked remodeling homes and hopes to soon finish paying off more than $2,500 in court fines and fees.

“I got so far behind in a year,” he said. “It’s just been hard to catch up.”

But he enjoys time with his daughters in nature. Each girl could use a sturdy pair of boots, in sizes 1 and 4, for hiking and playing in the snow.

“We go on adventures,” said the girls’ dad.

Warm hats, gloves and snow pants would augment new school clothes — pants, tops and dresses — in girls’ sizes 7/8 and 9/10. The older girl is tall and thin and often has a hard time finding pants that are long enough.

To ensure the girls have enough to eat during weeks with their mom, school staff are requesting snack donations, including granola bars, trail mix and other shelf-stable items. Instead of being cared for, the girls instead try to care for their mom, whose instability results in missed holidays and special events, their dad said.

Simple childhood games, however, still interest the girls, their dad said, requesting Nerf guns to replace the ones lost in their parents’ separation. On their rural property, the family can leave behind their daily cares to run, hide, wander and explore.

To help, call 541-774-3900 or email sarah.lemon@kuaoregon.org

About Kids Unlimited

Who we are

We believe educational opportunities are for everyone — regardless of economics, background, race, gender or zip code.

This belief shaped Kids Unlimited, a grassroots program that took hold in 1998 at a low-income elementary school in Medford. KU founder Tom Cole upheld education and opportunity as the keys to overcoming barriers of language, culture and poverty.

KU’s values, more than 25 years later, have become a community norm. We know the community cares about its children, but we are challenged every day to serve kids whose needs surpass available resources.

  • Poverty, hunger and family instability are widespread among KU participants.

  • Kids’ adverse experiences and social-emotional delays require mental health treatment.

  • KU families need wrap-around support, including job, housing and health care assistance and referrals.

  • More than 70% of KU families are Latino, about half of those non-English speaking.

  • Nearly one-third of students attending KU Academy are designated migrant.

What we do

A nonprofit organization, Kids Unlimited relies on government and foundation grants, private donations, business sponsorships, community partnerships and fees for service. Our community’s generosity ensures KU can provide these educational opportunities and social supports:

  • Afterschool programs at nine of the highest poverty elementary schools in our region;

  • Math and reading assistance that supplement students’ regular school day with 20% more instruction;

  • Enrichment activities in supervised, safe environments during out-of-school time, including after school and summer, winter and spring breaks;

  • A year-round public charter school providing 30% more instructional time than Medford district schools;

  • 10-hour structured school days that embed enrichments in arts, music, culinary, sports and other programs often economically out of reach for KU families;

  • High-quality preschool and child care for Southern Oregon’s highest poverty families with a focus on kindergarten readiness, socio-emotional development and hands-on, active learning;

  • Highly qualified, diverse teaching staff, many bilingual, who offer culturally competent programming;

  • Thousands of meals each day, all cooked from scratch, often incorporating locally sourced produce and proteins;

  • “Free” services to remove participants’ economic and cultural barriers and ensure their access and equity.