Care to Learn has reached a milestone. The nonprofit, which provides help so kids have a better chance of learning, announced it has met 3 million needs since it was founded by Doug Pitt in 2007.
One million of those needs were met just in the last year.
"This past year it was pretty remarkable," said Care to Learn CEO Krystal Simon. "We partnered with four additional communities, and we grew about 27 percent in the number of students who have access to Care to Learn."
As the organization has evolved and grown, Simon said, they’ve been able to share their mission with more people in the communities they serve, which has helped to identify more needs.
Care to Learn currently partners with 42 communities across Missouri. Its mission is to provide funding to support students in the areas of health, hunger and hygiene .
"It can be a child that doesn't have access to dental care or...maybe they have several cavities and is complaining of a toothache, we can come alongside and pay for that bill," said Simon. "It could be a child that could not see the board and maybe had a pair of eyeglasses that maybe they broke or maybe it's a kindergartner, and they haven't been screened, Care to Learn can step in and pay for that."
Meeting simple needs, said Simon, can have a huge impact on a child's ability to learn.
"If we can provide them with something that allows their day to day to feel normal and for them to feel just like their peers, that ultimately is the goal," said Simon.
She said Care to Learn plans to continue to grow strategically to meet as many needs as possible.
