Simply put, the mission of the Fredette Family Foundation is to strengthen families. We believe that strong families are the most important unit on earth because strong families create strong schools, communities, and societies. We also believe that the most important and productive way to strengthen families is to produce individuals with strong moral character.
“THE GREAT HOPE OF SOCIETY IS INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER ”
– William Ellery Channing
Our emphasis is on helping families in need. First we provide for any immediate physical needs families may require. When this is
accomplished we can focus on the more important and more permanent goal of producing youth with strong moral character.
Accomplishing Our Mission
When a child is hungry, cold, made fun of, bullied, or afraid they have no capacity or interest in learning how to develop character. These children need our immediate help.
A Fredette Family Foundation volunteer donating time and labor to improve lives
The first challenge then is to identify who needs help. That is why the majority of our time and effort is spent in partnership with our local school districts. They see the needs of local families every day.
Programs:
Our first program is called “CHOSEN”. This program promotes the idea that every child is chosen to succeed. It deals primarily with making money available to the school districts to provide for the varied physical needs of students. At the same time, CHOSEN is an acronym of the type of support available to families.
C = Character (also supported through our P4 program)
H = Health
O = Opportunity
S = Safety
E = Education
N = Nutrition
These needs are taken care of in a very personal, private way through two different funds made available to the extent our funding allows.
Secondly, our Positive Peer Pressure Program (P4) provides character education and anti-bullying programs designed to help students feel safe, accepted, and included in their schools and community. More information on the P4 program can be found on our Stop Bullying page.
Two Funds:
The first fund is the supplemental school lunch program. This is a fund set up in the school system according to state laws that allows money to be put into the individual accounts of children who, for many different reasons, don’t eat lunch.
The second fund is called kids cash. This is a fund set up to provide for any other needs that select kids may have during the year. The kids cash fund has been used to purchase gloves, hats, boots, gym shoes, uniforms, prom tickets, prom dresses, money for college applications and many other general uses.
Additional Support:
In conjunction with these funds set up, P4 student leaders and “hope committees” have sponsored a school boutique in Glens Falls where students in need can go and shop for free for brand new clothes donated mostly by teachers and administrators at the school. Only adults are allowed to staff the boutique.
A backpack program is also in place allowing students to bring food home for the weekends.
Through funding from the Fredette Family Foundation’s programs, as well as through donations in kind and from the generosity of the teachers, volunteers, and school staff, kids are receiving the resources they need to fulfill their immediate needs, allowing them to focus on doing well in school and developing strong moral character that will serve them well throughout their lives.
