09/26/2020
The Foundation is being dissolved. The Board of Directors felt that the Foundation has met its original mission of supporting the education of the orphans in Vietnam. Also, there has been a significant drop in donations to the Foundation over the last couple of years. In addition, with the Covid19 pandemic, we are unable to conduct fundraising activities like we have done in the past.
Founded in April, 2008, the William James Black Children’s Memorial Fund for the Sweet Water Foundation has supported the educational and survival needs of thousands of children around the world. The Foundation helped provide computer labs at an orphanage in Vietnam and in the Hephzibah Group Foster Home. It provided bicycles for children to get to school in Vietnam. It has provided school supplies and materials in Vietnam and Hephzibah. The Foundation has helped to provide back packs filled with food for children in DuPage County, Illinois through the Northern Illinois Food Bank. It has also helped provide food packs to children around the world through Feed My Starving Children. A newer project to provide speech services to children with apraxia through the Apraxia Connection was started. Other projects included C.A.R.E. for children with autistic disorders, Lamb’s Fold for homeless and abused women and children, and our project in Japan to help children after the tsunami. All in all, almost $145,000 has been distributed to our projects. None of this could have been done without you, our donors. Thank you very much. We will not be accepting any donations after December 1st, 2020. Donations made to the Foundation after that date will be returned.
We would like to thank our financial donors for supporting the Foundation during the twelve years of operation. Without your help, the thousands of children would not have had as many educational and survival materials available. Thank you.
We would like to thank our recycling donors for their support as well. Not only were you helping the children, but also the environment. Thank you.
We would like to thank those of you who participated in the fundraisers: the golf outings, Wendy’s, Buona Beef and Portillo’s nights out. Thank you.
We would like to thank Christine Nowland and CalGraphics for publishing our quarterly newsletter for many years. Thank you.
Also, a big thank you goes to our Board of Directors. The original directors were Miki and Brian Cunat, Betty and the late Mel Peterson and Pat and Bill Black. The current directors are Pat and Bill Black, Will Black, Sara and Alex Cole, Jenn and Steve Cunningham, Tina and Tony DeAngelis and Maxine Swanson and Honorary Trustee Lauren Black.
Even though the Sweet Water Foundation will no longer be operational after December 31, 2020, you can still donate directly to the following if desired:
1. Hephzibah Children’s Association, ATTN: Mary Beth Sheets, 1144 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60301, hephzibahhome.org
2. Northern Illinois Food Bank, ATTN: Hester Bury, 273 Dearborn Ct., Geneva, IL 60134, solvehungertoday.org
3. Feed My Starving Children, ATTN: Marilyn Maurella, 740 Wiley Farm Ct., Schaumburg, IL 60173, fmsc.org
4. Apraxia Connection, ATTN: Michelle Grady Kowalski, 401 N. Catherine, LaGrange Park, IL 60526, TheApraxiaConnection.com
It is with mixed feelings for Pat and I, as original directors and parents of William James, that this is the end of the Foundation and the work it does. It was a hard decision to make, but one we and the Board felt necessary to make. We hope and pray that the organizations that the Foundation supported will continue to provide for the needs of children. God bless you all.
