MAY | 2026

April’s numbers are in, and we helped 828 kids this month! All thanks to you – our donors.  In addition to our usual requests we also paid for...

A sleeping bag so an 11-year-old boy can participate in Outdoor School.

A bed for a 7-year-old who has been sleeping on the floor.

A night at the movies, with popcorn of course, for a 16-year-old girl and her friends to “relax, feel included, and enjoy a sense of normalcy.”

A punching bag so a 15-year-old girl can work on regulating her emotions after being sexually abused by a family member.

A Harry Potter crochet kit for an 11-year-old birthday girl who recently arrived in this country after suffering abuse in her home country.

A ticket to a Broadway show for a young lady whose mom works very hard but just does not have the finances for anything more than their monthly bills.

Our favorite Celebrity Jeopardy contestant once again wowed the viewers with his in-depth knowledge of facts and trivia. He went into the final round with $32,500. He nailed the win by getting this question correct in the category American Names: "In Ashland County, Ohio, you can find the last living tree planted by this 19th-century man." He bet $15,000 to beat contestants Robin Thede and Margaret Cho (who also got the answer correct) for a total of $47,800. 

Want to know the answer? Click here to see Patton's epic win benefiting kids across the country. 

Now he advances to the Semi-Finals starting the week of May 11th. Here is a handy calendar to keep track of your favorite Jeopardy episodes.

Alice’s Kids announced earlier this month a $5,000 donation to Bryant High School in Alexandria, VA, to fund a special end-of-year celebration for the Class of 2026. Bryant is a small, non-traditional high school designed to support students who haven’t thrived in a typical school setting.

The grant will provide 85 graduating seniors with a trip to Dave & Buster’s on June 1. The event will include a catered lunch, games, and dedicated time for students to celebrate together as they approach graduation.

“For many Bryant High School students, opportunities like this have not been accessible in the past. This celebration ensures that every senior can participate in a joyful, shared milestone without financial barriers,” said Principal Cindy Conley.

Candid, a leader in non-profit data collection information, has awarded Alice’s Kids its 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency. This means our organization stands above to help donors make an impactful choice as to where and how their donations are spent.

Lisa Binzel, one of our volunteers (and last month’s Friend of the Month!), had a rather meaningful experience when celebrating a birthday with friends:

“We were having the best time and then were each delivered cute little Italian desserts with one little candle - compliments of a young man at the next table who asked our server about us and what we were celebrating. 

He then came over to our table to chat with us. He is a young entrepreneur from the LA area; he has his own durable medical equipment company (I joked we were his target audience!). He then proceeded to pay for our meal!! Easily $1,000 - plus a great tip for our server (who was awesome and said this guy is in the restaurant a lot and always very generous). Anyway, on the flight home yesterday, I decided to "pay it forward" with the money I saved on that dinner by donating to 3 of my favorite organizations, including Alice’s Kids.” 

In early April, our Executive Director, Ron Fitzsimmons, was invited to speak at the monthly meeting of social workers from Arlington County (VA) Public Schools. Serving a diverse community, Arlington County classrooms include students from families with significant financial resources alongside those who rely on free and reduced lunch programs. This economic contrast can create barriers for some students—whether it’s participating in field trips, accessing basic school supplies, participating in sports or band programs, or feeling included among their peers.

We are encouraged by this emerging partnership and the opportunity it presents. By working together with school social workers, we hope to help bridge these gaps and ensure that all students, regardless of financial circumstances, have access to the same opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive in one of the nation’s most affluent communities.

If you are interested in having us speak to your organization or team, we would welcome the opportunity to connect, please reach out to learn more by emailing our Deputy Director Laura Basse.

In case you missed it, last month we announced a partnership with Free Will, which provides our supporters with a free estate planning tool. It’s a simple, secure way to create or update your will. It takes about 20 minutes and is entirely free! Click here to sign up or learn more!