“This was a blessing beyond description, my family is so grateful for the support.” – Kaitlin Avila
When life takes an unexpected turn, it’s the strength of our community that helps carry us forward. Thanks to a grant from the Lenawee Community Foundation, one young family found the support they needed during a health crisis, and the hope to keep going.
Kaitlin Avila, a proud Sand Creek graduate and current custodian at Sand Creek Community Schools, was overjoyed to be expecting her first child. But about seven months into her pregnancy, her health took a sudden turn. She began experiencing seizures, which forced her to take a leave of absence from work. Not long after, she was induced early, and baby Audrey was delivered and transferred to the Mott NICU in Ann Arbor.
The situation placed an emotional and financial strain on Kaitlin and her husband Carlos. As they traveled back and forth to Ann Arbor while managing Kaitlin’s recovery and caring for a premature newborn, basic needs became a growing concern.
That’s when the Foundation’s grant made all the difference. Through its support of Sand Creek Community Schools, the grant helped fund a Basic Needs Pantry that provides clothing, hygiene products, and crisis assistance for students and families. More importantly, it allowed the district to step in and provide direct relief to the Avila family.
“As a first-time mom, facing these challenges was initially very intimidating,” Kaitlin shared. “Being honored with this grant by my Sand Creek family was a blessing beyond description. My family is so grateful for the support and never could have imagined the outpouring of help and encouragement! Thank you to all involved for making this possible!”
Rachel Myers, Director of the Aggie Academic Career Counseling Center, reflected on the broader significance of this support: “The work that the Lenawee Community Foundation does is an invaluable resource in these difficult times.”
The Lenawee Community Foundation provides the means for individual community members, businesses, and organizations to come together to fund urgent, real-world solutions that address the most fundamental needs in our county – needs like food, shelter, and crisis assistance. But beyond that, they provide the building blocks for something deeper: health for families, happiness in moments of fear, and the kind of hope that lasts long after the crisis has passed.
This is more than charity. It’s community. It’s care. It’s Lenawee.