Tanager Place has been chosen by the Wal-Mart Foundation as one of five statewide nonprofit organizations to compete in the Associate Choice Program. Wal-Mart is conducting the Associates Choice Program in all 50 states. 

 

The invited non-profits have been asked to submit a 30-word description of their agencies or programs. Wal-Mart Associates will be urged to visit the

employee benefits website,  www.myWal-Mart.com from July 7 - August 13, read about the nonprofits and vote for their favorite. The nonprofit with the most votes will win a $100,000 grant.

 

Tanager Place has been helping children and families for more than 130 years.  Founded by a group of volunteers in 1879, Tanager Place continues to help children and families struggling with serious emotional issues. 

Currently, Tanager Place serves 68 children on their residential campus in southwest Cedar Rapids and provides professional counsel and support to over 2,000 children annually from 46 counties across the state of Iowa.

 

Since its inception in 1879, Tanager Place has never wavered from its original mission…to improve the lives of children in need. 

Trust our history, believe in the future, our focus is children.

 

Tanager Place offers two critical programs that rely completely on

donated funds. If selected, Tanager Place would like to use the grant money to support the Expressive Arts Program and Camp Tanager.

 

Expressive Arts opens new worlds to all children, but it is especially critical

to the emotionally challenged children that live at Tanager Place. Expressive arts provides an opportunity for insight into feelings and conflicts too

threatening to face directly.  Working in the safe and nurturing

environment of the art house or the music studio, the children are able to

explore coping skills, face challenges and confront obstacles that they face.  The experience opens communications and gives the children the chance to be creative and know the pure joy of imagination. 

 

For over 80 years, Camp Tanager has offered camp experiences for

children ages 7-11 whose special social, economic or medical needs might not otherwise allow them to enjoy a summer camp experience.

Camp Tanager, a program which began in 1926 offers an outdoor

educational experience for 600 at-risk children each summer.  Campers are referred to Camp Tanager by area school counselors and medical professionals.  There have been 1,056 applications received to date for the 2010 season.  These applications represent 87 different schools located in 10 southeastern Iowa counties.  Camp provides rich educational experiences for campers in an

atmosphere of fun. Camp Tanager programming includes the only camp for children with hemophilia in the Midwest and a camp for children with

diabetes.  Camp relies completely on donations and this grant would help

provide a life-time experience of growth and discovery for children in need.

 

Both Camp Tanager and the Expressive Arts program at Tanager Place

directly impact children in need and would not be possible without the

support of grants and community donations.

 

 

Wal-Mart selects Tanager Place in Associate Choice Program

In 1987, Tanager Place CEO created a level of care for children who are seriously

emotionally disturbed.  Today, there are 400 PMIC (Psychiatric Medical Institute for

Children) beds for these children across the state of Iowa.  The residential program at Tanager Place represents 68 of the 400.

 

In 2004, the need for continued services for children struggling with both psychiatric and intellectual disabilities was evident.  Tanager Place CEO again created a one of kind level of care for these children.  Working with the

Association for Retarded Citizens this level was approved by the state and Tanager Place has the only program in the state of Iowa to serve these special children.  To date, there have been 14 successful discharges since the program’s inception.

Camp Tanager offers 10 weeks of camping experiences for at-risk children who are

economically or medically disadvantaged.

   Since 1879, serving

2,000 children annually.

Tanager Place is

committed to healing the total child.  In 1975,

Expressive Arts

Director created the

Expressive Arts

Program which offers visual arts, music and creative writing.

A quick look at the lives of the children who live at Tanager Place

o They range in age from five to 17

o The average age is 11

o The average stay at Tanager Place is 12 months

o They have lived in an average of 3-5 different placements before coming to Tanager Place

o 100% of the children have one psychiatric diagnosis with many struggling with multiple diagnoses

o Approximately 70% have experienced some type of trauma

o Over 60% come from families with annual incomes under $15,000