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The Gold Network of East Texas received the 2023 GIVE grant award at a event in Tyler on April 23 at a special presentation.

Gold Network founder Heather Rucker accepted the check for $12,012.16, the largest total of dollars raised and awarded by GIVE (Girls Invested in Volunteer Efforts), an initiative of the Women’s Fund of Smith County (WFSC).

After her son Sawyer was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at 7 months old, Rucker started the Gold Network program to help families who have children with cancer get access to much needed care. Through her family’s experience, Rucker became aware of the unique struggles of raising a family affected by pediatric cancer and realized how few services were available for families like hers.

Today, the Gold Network provides support services to families including meal deliveries, baskets with much needed essentials for children undergoing cancer treatments, and support services for parents. Gold Network also raises money that supports pediatric cancer research, an area that is far less funded than other cancer research fields.

“Gold Network of East Texas serves pediatric cancer families across East Texas who have a child currently on treatment, who have completed cancer treatment, or who have lost a child to cancer. Once a HERO, always a HERO,” said Rucker. “We currently serve more than 100 local families through a variety of programs including care packages, family outings, and a Caregiver Support Group, as well as helping fund pediatric cancer research projects. We are dedicated to raising awareness and funds to improve the lives of childhood cancer families in East Texas, and we are so grateful for the support of The Women’s Fund of Smith County and the GIVE program.”

Launched in 2014, GIVE is patterned after the Women’s Fund model of collective giving, with the goal of fostering leadership and philanthropic values in high school aged girls (grades 9-12).

Since their current year began in August 2022, the girls have studied various nonprofits in Smith County, learned about different issues facing the community, and worked to raise their own funding, all while narrowing down their potential grant recipients as a team.

“GIVE has been such a meaningful part of my life the past four years,” said Caroline Khalaf, high school senior at All Saints Episcopal School. “It has taught me compassion and has opened my eyes to the state of the community I live in. I am so grateful for the things I’ve learned and the people I have met through this group.”

Members of the Women’s Fund of Smith County volunteer to help mentor the girls, and this year’s co-chairs are Carrie-Ann Jasper-Yearty and Johnna Fullen.

“As co-chair of this year’s GIVE program, my role has been to help high school girls realize how nonprofits impact communities, improve lives, and how they can play a role in that, even at a young age,” said Jasper-Yearty. “It has been rewarding to see high school girls grow throughout the school year as they participate, and my hope is that more girls would get involved in this program so we can continue to educate and empower the next generation to make a positive difference in their communities.”

As co-chair, Fullen has been involved with GIVE for several years, along with her daughter Kaela.

“It’s heartwarming to see a diverse group of high school girls from area schools come together, to learn about the needs in our community, and then follow a process that allows them to act on one or more of those needs,” she said. “From participating in the GIVE experience, I have seen teen girls become more involved in volunteering and leadership positions within their schools, churches, and community activities. Collectively, the women who oversee the GIVE initiative, agree that they learn as much — or perhaps more — about community needs and giving from involvement with these young hearts.”

Since 2014, members of GIVE have awarded $59,912 to nonprofit organizations in Smith County, including most recently, The East Texas Crisis Center, Hope Haven of East Texas, and For The Silent.

In addition to awarding grants, GIVE is also able to donate new, cozy socks through a partnership with We Give Two, the supplier of the socks GIVE sells to help raise funds. We Give Two matches each packet of socks sold with a pair of fresh new socks to be donated.

This year, GIVE donated 327 pairs of socks to the Highway 80 Rescue Mission, an organization that is dedicated to fighting homelessness in East Texas by providing services like overnight lodging, hot meals, clothing closets, and other services that help men, women, and children in our community.

Highway 80 Mission not only addresses the physical needs of this population, but also offers recovery programs for those who struggle with substance abuse, Christian-based discipleship programs, work therapy, tutoring, and other counseling services that help support men and women who want to change their lives.

Recently, the main storage area in Tyler for Highway 80 Mission caught on fire, and most of their backstock of supplies was destroyed. This makes the GIVE sock donation especially helpful this year, as it will help to resupply a much-needed item.

GIVE meetings run concurrently with the academic school year and will resume in September 2023. For more information about GIVE and the Women’s Fund of Smith County, please visit www.womensfundsc.org.

The Women’s Fund of Smith County believes that together is better. Through collective giving, they transform the community by funding programs that enrich the lives of women and children.