Children’s Programs
Children are the unintended victims of poverty. At Circle, we offer several programs that directly benefit the children of our clients.
Questions? Contact our staff at circle@circleofconcern.org.
Summer Opportunities
The cost of summer camp is often too high for parents who are struggling to pay for basic needs like groceries and utility bills; so enriching activities for their children may be out of reach.
Circle changes that scenario by offering scholarships to camp through the Summer Opportunities program. Day or sleep-away camps, sports teams, swimming or music lessons – the child can choose the camp or enrichment of his or her choice, and Circle will help make it happen.
You can give a child the gift of memories by clicking here to donate to the Summer Opportunities program. Be sure to write “Summer Opportunities” or “Camp” in the tribute name section. Donations can also be mailed to 112 St. Louis Avenue, Valley Park, MO 63088, Attn: Summer Opportunities Program. All donations are tax deductible.
Back-To-School
Children who start the school year with adequate school supplies are children ready to learn with confidence. Our annual Back-To-School initiative helps equip the children of our client families with fresh, new supplies.
To provide families with the best opportunity to choose exactly what each child – ages five to 18 – needs, Circle provides families a generous gift card for each child. We first began distributing gifts cards (instead of holding a traditional large supply distribution event) because of the pandemic. Since then, client families report that the gift cards allow them to better select exactly what their children need for school.
Many thanks to our generous donors who support the purchase of gift cards for approximately 500 children each year!
Birthday Club
Circle of Concern spreads birthday joy for client families with children, ages one to 11. Each child receives personally-selected gifts, along with a birthday bag containing a cake mix, icing and party supplies.
Student Snacks
Our clients’ children may qualify for free or reduced breakfast and/or lunch programs during the school year. During the summer, those meal programs come to an end. To ensure these children have enough to eat, Circle helps with Student Snacks gift cards, allowing parents to purchase kid-friendly foods at a nearby grocery.
Similarly, we offer student bags to the Valley Park school district for students whose families may need extra support. These bags offer families free groceries for weekends and school breaks which include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals along with fresh produce and vegetables when available.
