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And that's exactly what Be an Angel does. Since 1986, Be An Angel has been on a mission to serve low-income special needs children, putting the quality back in 'quality of life'.
Who They Are
Be An Angel is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for children with multiple disabilities through the provision of needed adaptive equipment and select services.
Be An Angel provides essential adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, medical strollers, auto ramps and a variety of other specialized equipment to low income special needs children on an individual basis.
They believe that children are the heart and soul of humanity, and that they represent all that is good within us. Every child is important in this world and can contribute to others in a meaningful way. The equipment, services, and programs that they are able to provide contribute to a longer, more productive, and fuller life for the children they serve.
Their Mission & How They Fulfill It...
Be An Angel helps children with special needs experience life at their fullest potential. They supply equipment such as hearing aids and services such as Respite Care to families that cannot afford them or are not Medicaid qualified.
If you've been following us for some time, you know we are all about the numbers. And these could be our favorite data points yet:
In 2021, Be An Angel supplied 36 families of special needs children full financial support to attend Camp For All, 5 families with the opportunity for 12 hours of home respite care per month, 23 children received hearing aids, 9 families received a vehicle adaptation for wheelchairs, 11 hearing impaired preschoolers were taught to speak, and 43 medically fragile children are being cared for in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.
They work with many wonderful partners who help make their mission possible, such as Insperity, The Astros Foundation, and H-E-B.
Their Programs...
Be an Angel has 9 different programs and 7 different ways for you to get involved to help the special needs children of Texas get the accessibility they need to live their fullest life, the way their able-bodied friends can.
Be An Angel evaluates applications for equipment or services from Be An Angel based on the child's needs and the family's financial situation.
Hearing Aids- Because movies, plays, and music are no longer accessible, isolation is a frequent problem for a loss of hearing child.
Be an angel has provided 252 hearing aids to special angels in need, since 2008.
Personal Equipment- By providing personal equipment to low-income families with children with special needs, they help families address the challenges of caring for these children.
Respite Care- provided with a state-licensed caretaker, parents are then free to take care of their other parental duties such as errands, appointments, and the time to rest.
Up to 12 hours per month of respite care services are given of the parents choice.
Barrier-Free Playgrounds- These playgrounds allow the special angels to play with their able-bodied friends and siblings. Be An Angel has established 28 inclusive playgrounds during the 36 years of operation.
See all of the inclusive playgrounds Be An Angel has built so far throughout Texas here!
International Assistance- Be An Angel’s International Outreach Program support extends all the way to the Dominican Republic. 27.6% of the 2.1 million people in Santa Domingo are living in poverty, and only 30% of children finish primary school.
There are 40 children in the Casa De Luz (meaning house of light). Be An Angel provides the care they deserve including medical care, nourishment, physical therapy and a loving family.
Learn more about the children of Casa De Luz here!
Camp Angel- Offering special needs children an authentic summer camp experience, Be An Angel is designed for people under the age of 22 and their immediate family to receive a retreat-like experience.
Holiday Gifts- Be An Angel set out to spread joy to the special needs families living in poverty in Houston, Texas.
In 2020, 5,114 students were gifted Christmas presents that might not otherwise have been able to get.
Find out how to volunteer here.
Success Golf- Sponsored by Insperity, Success (Students Undertaking Challenging Courses Ensuring development of Sportsmanship and Skills) Golf is a 9 hole mini golf course uniquely made for the special needs angels. The gold course is meant to encourage learning, fun, and help grow their fine motor skills and help with brain development.
COVID-19 Relief- Those who qualify and care for a special needs child (or children) who have been adversely affected by the Corona virus pandemic may request assistance with diapers, bed pads, formula, feeding tubes, or other commodities required for the care of their child.
What's Next? How You Can Get Involved...
Make a difference in a special angel’s life.
Amazon Wish List- Their most needed/demanded for items kept updated on their Amazon wish list.
Find their Amazon Wish List here.
Amazon Smile- At no cost, shopping through AmazonSmile is the same experience as shopping at Amazon.com, however Amazon Smile donates 0.5 of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice!
To start, go to smile.amazon.com and you an choose Be An Angel as your Charitable organization to support.
Get started here.
Workplace Giving- Employees can participate in matching dollar-for-dollar gift programs ,where their employers will match their charitable contributions and volunteer hours, which many employers offer.
Find out how here.
Grocery Shopping- You can easily help special needs children by having a portion of each purchase at Kroger or Randalls be given to Be An Angel.
Learn about Kroger Community Rewards here.
Learn about Randalls Good Neighbor here.
Planned Giving-
Individual Retirement Account: By naming Be An Angel as beneficiary of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you can give Be An Angel a gift that is free of all income and estate taxes because of Be An Angel’s 501(c)3 status.
Trust: A trust is an excellent solution to many potential estate problems. You can include Be An Angel as the beneficiary of a relatively simple revocable trust or irrevocable trust.
Charitable Remainder Unitrust: By transferring stocks to a Charitable Remainder Unitrust, you can be impacting children’s lives.
Estate Giving: Be An Angel works with PhilanthroCorp to ensure that your legacy is carried on after your passing. PhilanthroCorp allows you to have the opportunity to work with experienced attorneys to bless your children and grandchildren as well as the charities which are near and dear to your heart. Resources such as the equity in your home, life insurance, and retirement plans should be responsibly stewarded after you leave this world.
Event Sponsor/Host- Organizing a Be An Angel event is an effective way to get everyone in your social group involved and introduced to our life-changing mission. Events can range from in-home receptions to fun runs, bake sales, and silent auctions to manning a booth at a local fair or even organizing a fundraiser.
Learn more about sponsoring an event here.
Membership- Through monthly automatic donations the Wings Of Hope Membership program helps eliminate some of the challenges that our special angels are going through.
Learn more about Wings Of Hope Membership program and other events here.
