A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR      I am not at all sure that I can adequately describe to you how deeply the work at Focus On The Children is affecting all of us at FOCUS and how this work is affecting the individuals within the communities who are supporting this effort.  But I would like to try.      Throughout this Website, you can learn about the services FOCUS offers homeless families with small children.  Funders often call the recipients of these services the "constituency served."  But FOCUS has grown beyond a service for homeless families the "constituency served" has become much more far-reaching.  This is because the individuals within the community who are supporting the program have also become part of the "constituency served."      Because Focus On The Children is committed to remaining 100% privately funded, we have had to be creative in our fundraising efforts.  We are reaching out into the local childcare centers, schools, churches, police departments, senior groups and even local juvenile detention centers calling upon our entire community to reclaim personal responsibility for our most vulnerable citizens our very small children.  We are astounded by the response.      The word philanthropy is most often connected with the financially rich yet the word philanthropy actually means, "love of mankind."      That is why the FOCUS fundraising philosophy encourages everyone to get involved. Regardless of age or economic status working together, we are making a really big difference.  In this way, we are not simply giving out of excess, but out of a deeper, more spiritual need to give.  By encouraging everyone to share just a little, we begin to re-create community-the way it used to be.  Local youth are learning compassion and gaining power in their community.  Homeless parents are helping one another, and that is a very powerful thing, too.      As the FOCUS community based effort has evolved, we see the value and the need for more community-based efforts nationwide.  A higher power is the true healing force behind the success of the children and families at the FOCUS Centers and the rest of us are humbly and deeply grateful to have been chosen to come together to support this work. Sandra Smith Executive Director FOCUS Home Page | Sponsorship Information Homeless Childcare | A Message From The Director Mission Statement | How Does FOCUS Define Homeless Parent Participation Program | Major Contributors| Board of Directors Web Page Design by Kenneth A. Lee Last Updated 8/14/01