Friday, January 14, 2011

My announcement

This email went out last night to the Heroes for Children supporters....

In November 2004, two moms who had lost their precious daughters to leukemia partnered to start a non-profit and help fellow families with a child battling cancer. Now, more than six years later, Heroes for Children has donated over $3 million to thousands of Texas families facing the economic and emotional burden of a child undergoing treatment. What started as a way to help others through one of the hardest times in the lives of two mothers has grown to become a lifeline for many families who had nowhere else to turn.


I am extremely proud to be one of the co-founders of Heroes for Children. The words "your daughter has leukemia" literally changed every facet of my life; I was a wife and mother, living out my childhood dream of teaching. For the past six years, Heroes for Children has helped me through one of the darkest periods in my life. Along with my co-founder Larissa Linton, I am proud of our success as an organization. Never in our wildest dreams could we have anticipated the support and growth Heroes for Children has experienced thanks to our loyal donors, dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers.


In celebrating the organization's success, I'm also cognizant of where and how the organization still needs to grow. As I look forward to the year ahead, I've made the personal decision to step down as the Executive Director and return to teaching. I strongly believe this is the right decision for the organization and for me personally. This transition will allow me to continue helping families in the fight against childhood cancer while returning to my love of teaching. My decision makes way for new talent with the experience to help Heroes for Children make even greater strides in the non-profit arena for years to come.


As a co-founder, I will remain an active member of the Heroes for Children Board of Directors. My passion about Heroes for Children grows with every family we touch, and I am committed to continuing the mission Larissa and I developed when we founded this organization.

A search committee designated by the Board of Directors will begin the process of hiring a new director in late February with the goal of hiring someone by the beginning of May to allow for training and transition in June. I will remain the Executive Director of the organization until mid-June when the transition is complete.


I truly appreciate the support of the Board, staff, and of course, my wonderful family in making this very difficult decision. I know I will have your support as well and your continued involvement of this amazing organization as we look to grow and mature in new ways to help more families touched by devastating news Larissa and I know all too well. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at all; I am happy to share this news with you in greater detail.


Very gratefully,

Jenny Scott

Executive Director/Co-Founder

12 comments:

Sarah said...

Congrats on your decision! From whati know,your students loved you, and you love teaching-- glad that you'll be living both of your passions!

Myshel said...

Jenny,
I am so proud of you, and so excited for your next step. Lots of HUGS!
Shel

Tina said...

Congratulations Jenny on your decision! Sounds like a win win! It has been so fun following you along on this journey and can't wait to hear more of what is to come! Take care!

Kat said...

Oh wow, this is startling but very wonderful news! I look forward to reading how the next chapter of your life begins. :)

Blessings,
Kathy

Kimberly said...

You have always seemed to make careful, well thought out decisions and I bet this one is no different. You LOVED teaching from everything you shared and in many ways you lost that with Allie. I see you moving forward in a productive and healthy way. Cant' wait to hear about all the teaching stories!

Best Wishes,
Kimberly

Lisa said...

Sounds like the best of both worlds to me! You get to go back to your love of teaching, yet you still can honor Allie by being on the board and participating. Very exciting!

Stacy said...

Congrats Jenny! It sounds like this is the right decision for you and your family. You should be extremely proud of yourself! I'm proud of you! I hope and pray that this new path brings you much joy and your family is blessed.

HAPTeach said...

I am so glad you will be able to be involved in both of your passions! Congratulations!!!!

Sharon C said...

Wow Jenny! What a surprise! Congratulations on making what I'm sure was a very difficult decision. Yet, I'm so happy to hear you go back to teaching. When I first began following your blog, it was apparent that you were a really GOOD teacher. And we need more of those these days! Congratulations to you and Larissa for the amazing foundation you created together. And the amazing work you'll continue to do.

Sharon

Domestic Diva said...

Can't imagine how hard that decision was for you but I think it's great that you're going back to your first passion. Even though you may not touch people in the same way, but you are still touching/making an impact to those around you.

I'm glad to see you are not disengaging yourself from HFC, never thought you would but I am really happy to read that you're going back to teaching. Some school is going to be very lucky and some students will gain a new appreciation for French:).

Kelly said...

I'm so excited about your next chapter - entering your classroom once again! Your students to be are quite lucky! I hope you find the perfect match for your talents as you bask in the possibly more predictable schedule that teaching allows for your family.

Best wishes AND keep blogging! I've always enjoyed reading your updates!


Kelly in St. Louis

Erin Laughpaintcreate said...

Jenny-

Congrats on the decision to return to your love of teaching. You will obviously always have deep roots in HFC and have accomplished more than most after what you have been though. You have a lucky group of kids waiting in the wings! Enjoy and thanks for the update! Best wishes on the exciting news!

Erin O.