Intero Foundation Grant Presentation for TheatreWorks

Most recently, MaryAnn Wallace from the San Jose office, brought forth a grant request for the Children’s Healing Project at TheatreWorks. At first glance, we thought… we don’t need to entertain kids… we need to fill their minds and stomach and put shoes on their feet. We need to give them some extra tutoring or transportation – something measurable we can see benefiting their lives quickly.

But, then we visited the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto and both learned and saw with our own eyes what our money was doing. Our donations were contributing to entertaining these children who were sick, constrained to their rooms & living their young lives in this hospital, due to their illnesses. They could not go to a library, play out on the sports fields or go visit the theater. So, with our donations, actors were brought in to the rooms of these sick children to brighten their day. When asked what she does when visiting these sick children in their rooms, teaching artist, Emily Jordan said, “make them smile.” Through improv and activities, these young children are brought to life.

One young patient at the hospital, a little girl, was asked if she liked the actor who would come to her room, and she answered, “it’s the highlight of my day.” Imagine… with your donation, you have provided a small girl, a highlight, an experience, she would not have had otherwise. This is a gift. When you put your head on your pillow at night, and all the tension and craziness of the day starts to fade. Remember, you made that little girl’s day!

Thank you. You, with your donation, and the Intero Foundation, do good things for children!

Congratulations.

Cathy Jackson & Sydney Ereno