After Alice, passed away my sister was cleaning out her room when she found a storage box that contained letters & pictures of a child we didn't know. We learned that she had "adopted" a child in Ethiopia by mailing $7 a month to him. That's who she was.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we just received a grant for $250,000 from a foundation that wishes to remain anonymous. One of the board members heard about us when @pattonoswalt.bsky.social played for us on Celebrity Jeopardy!

"Arthur (18) is transgender, living in a very inhospitable area of Iowa. He loves music & has been in the high school's jazz band for years. He's moving due to the impending death of his adoptive mom so I'm trying to secure funds to purchase a used baritone saxophone for him." DONE

A Virginia resident sent a donation of $7.31 with this note: "I received a virtual prepaid card as part of a class action Facebook settlement. It's a random amount, but I know Alice can put it to good use." Very cool.

Enjoy our 15th Anniversary special newsletter! www.aliceskids.org/15th-anniver...

"Brayden has been admitted to Boston Latin School & one requirement is each student has to pick an instrument to learn throughout their high school career. He has selected the piano but his mom does not have the finances to purchase one." We were happy to pay for one!

"Zelda (18) was recently run off the road by a coal truck. Her car was totaled. Someone donated a used vehicle to help her get to & from work/school but she needs help to register the vehicle. She could use a $125 gift card to use at the DMV to pay for her title & registration fees." Done!

In the month of May so far, we have spent $100,150 on children across the country. That is the most we've ever spent in one month! Thanks to our incredible gift card team and staff for keeping up with that frenetic pace. We've helped so many kids!!

Although @pattonoswalt.bsky.social was eliminated in tonight's round of Celebrity Jeopardy, he still received $50,000 which will be donated to Alice's Kids!!!! A good man, he.....

Enjoy our latest newsletter! conta.cc/4eJtNtH

On Friday at 8 PM EST, the actor/comedian Patton Oswalt @pattonoswalt.bsky.social will be on Celebrity Jeopardy on ABC and Hulu and he will be donating his winnings to our charity, Alice's Kids. Two years ago, he played on the same show and won $250,000 for us! He truly is a great guy...

Through the end of March we have provided direct, anonymous assistance to 4,668 children across the country...

"Ishaaq (17) is a refugee from Syria. His Dad was an engineer in Syria, but is now an Uber driver. Ishaaq has been through a lot. He needs a nice suit for a very important interview to possibly win a $32,000 scholarship. He carries a 4.0 GPA!." We sent a gift card,

Daniel (15) is on the school bowling team but he's the only one who doesn't have his own ball. He often has to rent one which embarrasses him. Daniel is one of the few Latino bowlers in the district and believes he bowls for a purpose greater than himself. Can Alice pay for a new ball?" YES!

"Chelsea (13) was just accepted into the United Voices of Denver & is trying to save money to cover the travel costs." The teacher asked for $100 but when I talked to her I learned Chelsea really needed $200 but the teacher didn't want to be "greedy." We paid the $200.

"Chaz (7) is often bullied because of the holes in his socks & shoes. Also, he recently suffered a wetting accident during the school day. These incidents have left him feeling marginalized & withdrawn. We'd love to get Chaz new clothing & footwear." We immediately sent a $125 Target gift card.

Enjoy our year-end report. Comments welcome. Happy New Year! conta.cc/3YWjskZ

Happy New Year to all of our friends! We'll see you on Monday.

In perhaps a sign of the harsh economic times, in the first half of December we spent $68,000 on kids throughout the country. This is an all-time record for half a month. Thanks to our amazing gift card team for working so hard to get those gift cards out, oftentimes within 24 hours!!

"Jayden was so excited to receive his sewing machine! He's already fixed a hole in his friend's shirt and and he finished the body of his first hat yesterday! And now he cannot wait to come to school to show his stuff. Thank you Alice's Kids!!

So glad to see you on Bluesky!

Alice's Kids Board of Directors has just adopted our budget for 2026 and it calls for us to spend approximately $1 MILLION next year on kids!

"Toni (17) frequently arrives at school out of uniform. We offer her a rental but she feels embarrassed. That triggers emotional distress and behavioral outbursts. I know from personal experience how embarrassing it is to take charity. We were happy to send a gift card for new clothes.

Thank you to all of the new donors on this page for your recent contributions. We've raised several thousand dollars from you in the last day or two. If you want to donate just go to www.aliceskids.org and see the big DONATE button. This is the only time we ask for donations for the year.

It's "Giving Tuesday"! forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=01ac...

Our good friend and supporter, @pattonoswalt.bsky.social will be on Steve Colbert on Wednesday!

Today we are mailing out our Annual Appeal. It is the ONLY time of the year we ask for donations. Please consider helping us reach even more kids. To make an online donation, use the DONATE button at aliceskids.org To pay by check, mail it to PO Box 60, Mount Vernon, VA 22121.

We were happy to pay for Jada's outfit!

Just another thank you to our friend, @pattonoswalt.bsky.social, for donating $10,000 to us via his appearance on the Great American Baking Show!!

Julie Derrickson, one of our supporters in Delaware, recently chatted with our friend Patton Oswalt @pattonoswalt.bsky.social about our work at his book signing!

"Jace (10) is autistic & and is now taking Risperdal. Within 3 months, he gained over 25 pounds. While he's trying to stay active, the fact is that none of his clothes fit him anymore. The family is not in a position to afford any new clothes. Would Alice pay for a gift card?" YES

Latest stats...

"Selena's (6) Mom passed away suddenly last year & the anniversary is coming up soon. I would like to get her a teddy bear made with his mother's picture on it. She is struggling & is having behavioral issues. I feel that this will help her feel better." We sent a gift card.

"Jay (15) has been coming to school in dirty, torn pants for the past week & his shoe has a large rip in it. While he tries to brush off the comments of others, he just told me 'anyone would be mad about having to leave the house like this.' Would Alice pay for new pants & athletic gear?." Done!

"Liz need a sun umbrella, a handheld fan, cotton dresses & detergent. She has psoriasis and does not come to school because she's worried she will get teased & she can't sweat on the walk home. These items will help her greatly & get her back to school." We paid for the items.

"Ramon (15) & his brother migrated to CA to flee gangs in Mexico. But they both were labor trafficked until their aunt rescued them. Still, Ramon is the definition of resilience. His passion is car mechanics & he'd like to take some courses but they cost $150." We paid for the courses.

We've been on vacation this week, thus no posts. We'll be back on Monday!!

"Our son just got a pair of shoe inserts thanks to Alice. He completed his last chemo & is now lifting weights & running. He was so excited when the inserts came in, he immediately put them in a pair of shoes and wore them! We so appreciate what your organization has done/is doing."

This young man now has a jersey of his favorite baseball player, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. We do not help kids who are Boston Red Sox fans 😜

"Caleb was in an accident earlier this year & missed 3 months of school. When he returned, he joined the band program & fell in love with the trumpet. He's getting free music lessons but the trumpet is no longer available. We found a used one at a local music store. Would Alice pay for it? Yes

"Debbie (11) recently had intestinal surgery so she now is fed thru a feeding tube. With 3 other children in the house, things can get crazy & Mom needs a place to store all of Debbie's food & meds. A mini-refrigerator would be great but the cost is prohibitive." We sent a $125 gift card.

"Diana's (7) mom works as a street vendor, has legal status but is still afraid of ICE raids, so she's not making money. Diana's also afraid to be on the street & is concerned she won't have any back-to-school clothes." We sent a gift card so Diana could get new clothes without going to the store.

"Xavier (18) has a business where he installs, fixes & does landscaping. The money is used to provide for his parents & siblings. He will soon take a certification program to grow his trade but he needs a shovel, rake and level & the cost is prohibitive." We gave him a Home Depot gift card.

"Brie (10) is a victim of abuse with many sensory challenges, including a struggle to brush her teeth. Because her teeth are yellow, she's teased by her peers. There is a sensory specific U-shaped toothbrush that would make it easier for her to brush her teeth but it's expensive." We paid.

"Brenda (10) gets very nervous when she gets her prescribed shot every 2 weeks. But recently I found something called a 'buzzy,' which is a cold device that you place by the site of the shot before administering it. It vibrates, which distracts from the pain. Would Alice pay for this device?" 👍

We're thinking of making an Alice's Kids bumper sticker with a QR code that links to our home page. Would you put that bumper sticker (or magnet) on your car?

"Tre is autistic & has been living with his mom in a car for weeks. They just moved into HUD housing but he just lost his Toni reading machine in a flash flood. It's an important calming device for him. Would Alice pay for a new one?" YES.