Community Highlights: Meet Adeola Lawal of The Children’s Gift Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adeola Lawal.

Hi Adeola, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

In April of 2017, I founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit called The Children’s Gift Foundation (CGF) to provide underserved and homeless children with all-new educational resources and basic necessities.

My initial goal was to focus on supplying at-risk children with new items, like books and school supplies, but eventually I discovered that there was an immense need for food as well.

Today, The Children’s Gift Foundation donates a wide range of items including food, clothing, gift cards, and educational tools, because we recognize that access to adequate resources can positively impact a student’s academic performance and foster academic readiness. Thanks to the support from the community, volunteers, partners, and donors, our journey has been remarkable.

I did not anticipate that there would be such a high demand for The CGF’s services, but each day we are in awe at how our donations help families. We have currently donated to more than thirty schools, charitable organizations, and resource centers in historically marginalized communities.

It is incredibly rewarding to hear how our resources have boosted students’ self-esteem, prepared them for college move-in day, or comforted them during the loss of a loved one. We are eager to broaden our reach in the future, but we are also incredibly grateful for our current impact and inspired by the communities we serve.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. When we first launched The Children’s Gift Foundation it was a struggle to determine which organizations could use our resources. Many of the schools that we initially contacted did not want book donations.

However, as our organization began serving more children, other communities learned about our mission and reached out to us regarding donations. This sudden growth also presented a challenge, because we did not have sufficient resources to support all of the communities that requested our help.

We’ve been impressed with The Children’s Gift Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

We want readers to know that The Children’s Gift Foundation (CGF) is a minority-founded 501(c)(3) non-profit.  I am a Black woman and the founder and executive director of the organization. I know that limited access to educational resources disproportionately affects minority students.

Our mission is to provide underserved, at-risk, and/or homeless children with new educational supplies, apparel, and other resources, from infant-hood to age eighteen, free of charge. We have distributed clothing, shoes, and food to organizations in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Illinois; and Georgia and we only donate new items. We have also developed educational initiatives to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and increase childhood literacy. We understand that students are more likely to excel when they are nourished, properly clothed, and immersed in an equitable learning environment.

Launching The Children’s Gift Foundation was an opportunity for me to explore my passion for branding and visual communication. I am constantly learning how to cultivate an effective brand identity and I enjoy communicating our vision to others. Brand wise, I am most proud of our commitment to building creative learning experiences for students. In the fall of 2017, we hosted an event called Kids Who Cube for more than 500 students.  I designed the Kids Who Cube program to teach students how science and math are relevant subjects inside and outside of the classroom, using a 3×3 Rubik’s Cube. Currently, our other educational initiatives highlight chemistry, computer science, reading, and foreign languages. Our academic programs, hunger relief efforts, and community outreach campaigns help us to raise awareness about issues that impact historically marginalized communities.

In 2022, we will be celebrating our five-year anniversary. We hope that people will consider donating to The Children’s Gift Foundation, as we continue to serve others.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
We developed a Covid-19 Aid Campaign to provide relief for families, but the pandemic overall taught us the importance of emergency preparedness. Covid-19 also prompted us to change how we distribute items to communities.

Prior to the pandemic, we regularly interacted with students, educators, and members of the community. Now, we are more strategic with how we deliver resources to students.

Contact Info:

• Email: ak@thechildrensgift.org
• Website: www.thechildrensgift.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thechildrensgift/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheChildrensGiftFoundation
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChildrensGift

Image Credits
Adeola Lawal