Cherished friends and supporters,

I want to take a moment of your time to share a story that has stayed with me. It’s one that breaks my heart every time I think about it... Emily’s story–a little girl with big dreams slipping further away each day.

When I first met Emily, I saw a child who had already faced more hardship than most of us could imagine. After years of abuse and addiction, her mother fights to keep them afloat. They move from place to place, sometimes spending nights in their car. Hunger is a constant, unwanted guest.

That’s why I’m writing to you today.

Kids like Emily need someone to stand up for them. They need someone who believes, as I know you do, that every child deserves a warm bed and a full belly.

Once again, this year, two donors will match your gift, dollar for dollar, through December 31st.

Will you be a hero for Emily and double your donation today?

You can donate at our secure site by clicking here.

For Emily and her mother, most days are a struggle to find something to eat, but it’s never enough. Childhood should be joyful—playing with friends and going to school. But the fight to survive takes that joy away.  The bright light in her eyes—the light every child should have—is fading.

Imagine a mother’s pain watching her child suffer. She can’t even provide the basic necessities for her. Each day, she battles feelings of helplessness, guilt, and despair. She tries to protect Emily from their harsh reality. She knows her love can’t fill her daughter’s empty stomach. It can’t keep them safe from the cold nights ahead.

Her love for her child is boundless. But the resources and support are not. This leaves her trapped in a cycle of stress and heartbreak. 

Right now, in our community, families like Emily’s are barely getting by. These families need heroes—people who can make a real difference.

I’m asking you today to be that hero for children like Emily.

Each day brings uncertainty for Emily. The safety and comfort every child needs are beyond her reach. Her mother, despite all her love and devotion, can’t put a roof over their heads or food on the table.

It’s heartbreaking to see a little girl who once loved school now struggling to focus. How can she think about math or reading when she’s hungry and unsure of what tomorrow will bring?

I know you’re a kind, thoughtful, and generous person. I know this story breaks your heart as it does mine.

We see in the news and from our neighbors that many families are struggling to find affordable housing. In Saratoga, Fulton, and Montgomery Counties, over 60,000 families—a third of households—are struggling to make ends meet. For those families, hunger, the fear of losing their homes, and daily stress are real. They don’t know where to turn. And in the places we call home, 45% of those affected are children.

These aren’t stories from distant places. This is the reality for far too many right in our community. The cost of living has become the cost of surviving.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Imagine a community where every child sleeps with a full stomach. Every family has a safe home, and no one faces hardship alone. This isn’t a dream—it’s a reality you can help create.

Today, you have the opportunity to make a real difference. Will you take a stand against hunger and homelessness right here in our community and give now? Give through our secure site by clicking here.

If you give before December 31st, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. It will double your impact and transform the future for kids like Emily.

For Emily, the simplest pleasures of childhood are out of reach. There’s no quiet place to do homework, no regular meals to look forward to, and no safe space to relax and be a kid.

Homelessness and hunger stress families like Emily’s. They make them unstable. Kids should focus on school and friendships. Instead, they worry: where will they sleep tonight? Will there be enough to eat?

Just $36 can provide emergency food and hygiene products for families like Emily’s.

You can give today. Click here to give online.

I know you’re feeling the same heartbreak reading Emily’s story as I do. I know you’re as devastated as I am, knowing there are so many more like Emily in our community.

That’s why I’m calling on YOU to be a hero today and give.

Your donation will ensure the Food Pantry has food and emergency supplies. It will provide housing services for families in crisis. And it will fund vital support that can change lives for kids, families, and seniors. People like Emily and her mother.

Yet, your donation doesn’t stop there.

Your gift will double. It will support programs for emergency and permanent housing for individuals and families. It will offer parents and adults classes and mentors. They will build skills to become self-sufficient and develop resources for a brighter future.

Your generosity will make a lasting impact. It will turn despair into hope and tragedy into triumph.

Your donation will help build a community where every child, like Emily, has the chance to thrive.

Please give at our secure site by clicking here.

Families facing hunger and homelessness are often forced to make impossible choices. Parents must choose: pay rent or buy groceries? Keep the lights on or fill the gas tank to get to work?

The food available is often insufficient or lacks nutrition. It doesn’t help children grow and thrive. Hunger weakens their bodies and dims the spark in their eyes. Each day is an obstacle to overcome.

Hunger and homelessness make children and their families feel alone. They feel forgotten by a world that seems to move on without them.

Heroes are the ones who step up in times of need, offering help to those who are struggling.

Will you be a hero and donate now to double your gift? Please join me in building a brighter future as a hero and give now. You can give now by clicking here.

Our 30+ programs and services, funded by kind people like you, aim to help individuals and families move from crisis to self-sufficiency. Your support empowers kids and families like Emily’s. It helps them build a brighter future by meeting urgent needs.

Our shared mission is simple: to create lasting change in our community. But it can’t be done without YOU.

Please donate now and maximize your gift to help families in need today. Give online at captaincares.org/donate.

Donate by December 31st to double your gift.

Your gift is not just a donation…it’s a lifeline. You can be a leader in creating lasting change.

With your help, no one will face these challenges alone.

Your kindness can bring warmth, nourishment, and hope to families who need it most. It can light the way to a better tomorrow. Your generosity and heroism help those in need. Your actions help them find vital support for stability and self-sufficiency.

I deeply appreciate your past kindness and today’s support for our local kids, families, and seniors. Every dollar you contribute has a lasting impact on the lives of children like Emily.

Together, we can lift people up and build a brighter, more prosperous future for all.

Thank you for being a hero for our community. Thank you for being a hero for Emily.   

With my deepest appreciation,

Andy Gilpin
Executive Director

P.S. To double your impact, please donate online by December 31, 2024.

P.P.S. You can also call 518-399-4624 to give over the phone.