From the Redlands Daily Facts:
The Unforgettables Foundation began 15 years ago with a meeting April 30, 1999, at the Montecito Mortuary chapel in Colton, where Colton, Loma Linda and San Bernardino meet.
At that meeting of 30 local leaders, Tim Evans, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital chaplain, presented his idea of how to meet a previously unmet community need — helping families who have lost a child with funds for a simple and dignified funeral for the child.
With the group’s unanimous support and commitment of funds and volunteer work, The Unforgettables Foundation was created.
In the past 15 years, the foundation has helped 5,000 grieving families with bereavement support and funding for funeral services. In 2013, the foundation helped almost 300 families.
The Unforgettables Foundation has helped families in more than 100 Southern California communities, and the cause has spread to Orange County, to Las Vegas and Clark County, Nev., and to two major children’s hospitals in Canada — in Toronto and Ottawa.
On Thursday, more than 250 San Bernardino County charities will partner on the inaugural GiveBig event, a 24-hour online fundraising and awareness raising campaign. As part of that celebration of giving and volunteerism, The Unforgettables, volunteer-driven and volunteer-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, will ask friends, donors, volunteers and families served to give $15 or more at sbcountygivebig.org in honor of the more than 5,000 mothers, grandmothers and aunts helped over the years, to mark Mother’s Day weekend and the 15th birthday of The Unforgettables.
Unforgettables founder Tim Evans said, “The Unforgettables, according to eHow.com, is a real one-of-a-kind cause, offering comprehensive support and monies when children 18 years to 32 weeks of gestation, for all causes of death, and from any race or religion, have died and need help for their loved ones left behind to afford the funeral. We honor children and help their parents.”
To participate in GiveBig on Thursday, visit www.unforgettables.org. Those who want to donate may also send donations to The Unforgettables office at 345 Pearl Ave., #230, Redlands, CA 92374. All gifts are tax deductible and will go to help fund funerals for local children.
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