b'Rainbow Days 22nd annual Pot of Gold Luncheon featuringIMAGINE BEING TEN YEARS OLD,keynote speaker Marlee Matlin is slated to raise $250,000 to support the 37-year-old nonprofit organizations mission to HAVING SPENT THE NIGHT ON A BEDhelp children and youth in adversity build coping skills and YOURE SHARING WITH YOUR TWOresilience to create positive futures.SISTERS ON THE FLOOR IN A MOTELLaunchedin1982byFounderCatheyBrownto supportchildrenwhosefamilieswereovercoming WITH THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTSaddiction, Rainbow Days has expanded services to include: OUTSIDE AND LITTLE MORE THAN Alife-enrichmentexperiences;familyoutings;mentored events; and an array of alcohol, tobacco and other drug CEREAL BAR FOR BREAKFAST. (ATOD)preventionprograms.Todate,RainbowDays hasservedmorethan220,000childrenintheDallas community. In addition, more than 55,000 professionals across Dallas, the state of Texas, the nation and beyond ience to create positive futures. Now age twelve Katelyn says,have been trained to implement Rainbow Days nationally The hardest thing about where we live is that we dont haverecognizedCurriculum-BasedSupportGroupsorother any privacy. I feel sad about this sometimes. But my Rainbow Days teacher, Mrs. Hershey, lets me know that I am not aloneaccredited prevention programs with children in their own in my problems. communities through The Trans4m Center.Rainbow Days is a non-profit outreach organization that believes that by helping children learn and practice healthy self-managementandrelationshipanddecision-making skills with positive adult role models, they can help break the cycles of poverty, abuse, homelessness, and dysfunction. Katelyn, Kimora, and Kaliece are proving that it can.The girls have been part of several of Rainbow Days outreach programs over the years.They have received meals, new backpacks, school supplies, Christmas gifts, and school uni-forms.They have been part of an after-school program with support groups and help with homework, on special out-ings with caring adult mentors, and theyve participated in summer camps to explore math, science, and the arts.Most importantly, theyve had the opportunity to just be kids in a safe and caring environment away from the motel where they live. These girls are beautiful examples of the impact that Rainbow Days programs and caring adults can have on children experiencing adversity, reports Kelly Wierzbinski,Marlee MatlinDirector of Family Connection at Rainbow Days.The girls are doing better in school and meeting new friends, but the biggest sign that the programs are making a differenceRainbowDaysdependsonthesupportofover1,000 is evident in the girls own statements about their future.Ka- volunteerseachyear.Formoreinformationon liece, age 11, says, At Rainbow Days, I have learned to havevolunteering, contact Sunni Roaten, Volunteer Manager, at confidence and to follow my dreams.When I grow up, I want to be a police officer.Its so important to know that adultssunnir@rainbowdays.org.believe in them, that they help them see the importance ofInadditiontofinancialdonations,theorganization setting goals, and to instill in them the self-esteem to knowis always in need of snacks and pizza gift cards, school they can accomplish what they set their minds to.As Sher-ri Ansley, CEO of Rainbow Days sees it,The children andsupplies, and small toys and prizes.To make a donation youth we work with are the future. One day, they will be thecontactTiffanyBeaudine,DirectorofDevelopmentat mayors, doctors, teachers and business leaders of our com- tiffanyb@rainbowdays.org.munity. It is important for Rainbow Days to be part of creat-ing that future. For these three resilient young girls, there are very bright days ahead.GoodLifeFamilyMag.comMAY | JUNE 201967'