• We provided 1,000 PPE units to frontline workers in April during the PPE shortage.
• We replenished $2,300 in supplies to Henry Ford Elementary School after their devastating fire in July.
• We provided 380 kids in Ypsilanti with winter hats and gloves.
Like most things in 2020, our fundraising and projects were impacted by COVID 19. While adding up donations and recapping our projects, I had to take a step back to pause.
This year didn’t look like we thought it would – we has plans to do so much more. But…
this mantra continues to ring true:
“it’s the little things that can make the biggest impact.”
Without your support, we wouldn’t have a foundation. Your donations make BIG difference. From our hearts full of gratitude and thanks, thank YOU for the things you did to make a difference.
Ford Early Learning Center was maliciously set on fire back in July. This school is particularly important to us, as we’ve done our Christmas Wishes project for this school for the past two years. Given the current COVID times, our Christmas Wishes project has been put on pause, like so many things this year.
Our efforts have transitioned to help put the classrooms of Ford ELC back together.
To date, our GoFundMe Charity campaign has raised about $3,000. Sounds like a good amount, right? Let’s put it in perspective. We’ve taken the money raised so far and purchased supplies for each class for virtual and/or in-person supplies. So far, each class received $105 worth of supplies.
We have a BIG goal of $25,000 because we feel it’s important to do MORE in this community.
Knuth Family Foundation and Fleece and Thank You are collaborating to bring you “Fleece, Love & Yoga” ~ A special event to be hosted at 242 Community Church on April 25th, 2020, from 9am – 2pm.
This indoor yoga festival will showcase a headliner, 5 local yoga studios, healthy food and blanket making.
Best of all, we’ll be raising money to benefit Knuth Family Foundation and Fleece and Thank You!
Tickets will be available for sale online beginning Friday, February 14th.
*Early Bird pricing will only be available 2/14-2/16*
• YOGA Classes on the Main Stage all day, as well as, classes from each local studio throughout the festival.
• BLANKET MAKING with Fleece and Thank You will be included with each ticket and available from 10am-2pm. We encourage you to make a blanket, make a video and make a difference!
• FOOD & VENDORS a small group of local vendors, ranging from healthy food, organic juices, organic coffee and specialty retail items will be available throughout the festival.
STUDIO LINEUP:
*Soul Shine Yoga is teaching Work Your Asana. *Breathe Yoga Salt is teaching a breathwork and movement meditation class. *Divine Power Yoga is teaching a Baptiste Power Vinyasa Class *Brighton Yoga Center is teaching Slow Flow *My Yoga Room is teaching their Signature Yin Class
Fleece & Thank You provides comfort and hope to children battling illness by giving the unique opportunity to create a fleece blanket and a cherished video message of support and encouragement. 60,000 children have received a blanket to date!
Knuth Family Foundation empowers kids in Southeast Michigan by way of various programs and events like: New Kicks for Kids, scholarships and stocking school food pantries. Our largest project is ‘Operation: Christmas Wishes’ which provides hundreds of low income elementary children with Christmas gifts.
WHAT DRIVES YOU?
Our goal is to bring joy to local kids and show them that they are loved by their community.
The Knuth Family Foundation collaborated with Mrs. Clarks’ Advanced Algebra class at Brighton High School to bring back the magic of Operation: Christmas Wishes.
This program, made possible by donors and fundraising, granted Christmas Wishes to 375 preschool, kindergarten, and first graders from a Title I school selected in Washtenaw County, where at least 40% of students come from low-income families. At this particular school 90% of the families are low income, 10% are homeless.
THE IMPACT: A Christmas they won’t forget
$30 was budgeted for each child to have a “wish granted” from their Christmas list. With the generosity of our Sponsors and Donors to this program, we hit our fundraising goal! In addition to their Christmas gift, we were able to provided each student with a blanket, hat and gloves, coloring book & crayons!
The Program
THE RESULTS
Our fundraising goal for Christmas Wishes was exceeded by $152, raising a total of $13,277! Thank you to all of the generous Sponsors & Donors, you made it possible.
VIDEO
GIVE
Knuth Family Foundation does many fundraisers throughout the year. Contact us today, make a one time or recurring Donation and become a part of making a wonderful difference in student’s lives!
Join Knuth Family Foundation as they lead us into the New Year with Bend & Brew (yoga + beer), held Tuesdays on the 2nd floor of Brewery Becker in Brighton, MI.
What’s your excuse?
I don’t do resolutions.
Why?
Because by February I’ve fallen off the wagon and beating myself up about not sticking to the resolution. I’ve learned that goals tend to to work much better for me. Whether it’s a goal or resolution that you choose to embark on, don’t let excuses of why you can’t get in the way.
Here’s a list of excuses that I hear from people about why people “can’t” come to yoga.
“I’m not flexible” … That’s why you go to yoga! We aren’t trying out for the Cirque Du Soleil. We’re doing yoga in a Brewery.
“I’ve never done it before” … You can’t expect to be perfect at something you’ve never done before! Check your ego at the door and give it a try. Channel your inner 6 year old. Did I mention, there are zero expectations?
Moral of the story: If you’ve been thinking about coming to yoga, just give it a try!
JANUARY 2020 BEND & BREW CLASS SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, January 7th @ 6pm
Tuesday, January 14th @ 6pm
Tuesday, January 21st @ 6pm
Tuesday, January 28th @ 6pm
Bring $10 and a yoga mat. Beer is encouraged, not required.
To start off the holiday season with some warm-fuzzies, we present the 2nd Annual Operation: Christmas Wishes! The Knuth Family Foundation has collaborated with Mrs. Clarks’ Advanced Algebra class at Brighton High School to bring back the magic of Operation: Christmas Wishes.
Mrs. Clarks’ Room is home to 22 Advanced Algebra students who will be granting the Christmas wishes of 375 preschool, kindergarten, and first graders!
Together we have selected a Title I school in Washtenaw County. A Title I designation is given to schools with a student base where at least 40% come from low-income families. At this particular school 90% of the families are low income, 10% are homeless.
We have budgeted $35 for each child to grant a wish off of their Christmas wish list. $35 sounds small, right? But when you multiply it over 375 students, we need to raise $13,125. We know your hearts want to help as much as ours, so please donate to bring Christmas to 375 children in Washtenaw county. We know it’s a busy time of year for all, but these children have less hope than most this time of year.
Please donate by 12/13 so we know how much we have to spend per child. Santa’s elves are delivering gifts to the kids on 12/17.
Flex Tech is a charter school in Brighton and the only Livingston County school that has a Title One designation (40% of the families/students are classified as low income).
Flex Tech does not offer a school breakfast or lunch program.
We met with a group of teachers and they asked if we could provide breakfast for their kids. Easy enough. However, we thought we could provide a snack option as well for the students who need it.
For September…
• Bring in 1 box of food to Bend & Brew yoga class ~ Get $5 OFF ONE CLASS!
• Bring in 3 boxes of food ~ Get ONE FREE YOGA CLASS!
Knuth Family Foundation is hosting an Usborne Books and More online Book Fair Thursday, August 22nd at 7:30pm
Join us for the live party, or shop anytime on the website. Knuth Family Foundation will be donating books to help classrooms have a successful school year.
Professional athlete Sarah Boyle has partnered with Knuth Family Foundation to give athletic shoes to local kids who cannot afford a new pair. Join us by June 22nd to contribute to providing kids with new kicks.
HOW IT WORKS
A $75 DONATION = 1 NEW PAIR OF SHOES
Kids for the shoes will be nominated by teachers/coaches at their schools. From the nominations a committee will select the recipients of the shoes by July 31st and finally all shoes will be given out to kids by mid-August 2019 or as kids return to school in the fall.
FUNDS TO BE RAISED BY JUNE 22ND, 2019
Every little bit helps move this vision and project forward to help families and kids in our community. As an athlete or a parent, we know that something simple like having new athletic shoes is something we all get excited about wearing and can truly make difference in these kids’ lives. This encourages more play for kids, whether in gym class, a sport, or just out the front door.
Sarah Boyle, professional athlete partnered with Knuth Family Foundation to form “Kicks for Kids.”
As a professional athlete and former collegiate athlete, Sarah Boyle considered herself blessed to always have the new running shoes she needed for training. She didn’t have to wonder when she would get another pair or how she would afford them.
Sarah spent a number of years coaching at the collegiate level and it was there that her eyes were re-opened to the number of kids who come from families that were unable to afford a new quality pair of shoes for their son/daughter when they needed them. She personally witnessed a high school coach purchase a pair of shoes for an athlete because their family could not afford them.
The desire to give back to families in the community, along with her life experience, sparked the effort to make Kicks for Kids come to life.
Partnering with Knuth Family Foundation, together we hope to provide local kids without means to purchase new shoes, receive new kicks!
WHAT DRIVES YOU?
Our goal is to bring joy to local kids and show them that they are loved by their community.
Recently interviewed and filmed, our weekly Bend & Brew (yoga and beer) class was featured in a news piece by Matthew Smith of Metro Detroit’s Channel 7 News on ABC.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by the idea of trying a yoga class, there’s likely a class for you. At Brewery Becker, in downtown Brighton, you’ll find 20-30 people just about every Tuesday night — you read that right, yoga in a brewery. This class is meant for beginners to serious Yoga enthusiasts.
“Check your ego at the door, come with an open mind and channel your inner 6-year old,”said Ashley Knuth, the regular instructor who walks people through one-hour of poses at 6 p.m. every Tuesday.
“Come as you are, not as you think you should be.”
