Have you ever wondered how you can help to make a difference in the world we live in? Perhaps you're an advocate for our environment and fight the cause by recycling. Perhaps you're an advocate for animals and you volunteer at a local shelter or donate to one in need? Perhaps you're an advocate for our oceans and you help clean up the beaches. Whatever your heart desires, it's where you follow. Right?
Well, mine is for our children. I've been volunteering at Characters of Character since the day I created it back in 2007. Why so many have asked? Even family members have asked why, you don't get paid for your time or talent? It's true. However, when you have a passion, and you believe in something bigger than yourself, you do whatever it takes to enrich the life of a child. This video is short and sweet and was sent to Aquent for funding for new costumes for our characters as they are actually over ten years old and need some remodeling of their own! While they are a lot of fun to be in and feel the love from others when they meet the characters, they need an update. If you can, please feel free to donate here.

Or, perhaps you've had a child who had to stay or visit the hospital. We all know how scary that can be. Our organization donates our Superhero Activity Boxes to Children's Hospitals! We found just before Covid that there is a great need for such resources and so we have made this our projects to donate to Children's Hospitals each and every year. So far with Sponsorships and Donations and Fundraisers, we have been able to donate over 500 boxes this past year and we would love to double that each year. After all, unfortunately, there are always new patients in the hospitals and to give them something that brings them calm and joy helps us to fulfill our mission, and to make a difference. If this is something you might like to become involved in, please contact me here or visit us online to learn more about our hospital donations here.

Some of the places we've donated to our as follows:
Ann & Robert Lurie's in Chicago, Illinois
Shriner's in Chicago, Illinois
Huntley in Huntley, Illinois
Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee
East Tennessee Children's Hospital
South Texas Children's Hospital
Coming soon we are adding Northwestern Medicine, McHenry Hospital, McHenry location, Woodstock location and the Huntley location. If you would like to donate or Sponsor these Superhero Boxes, please do so here. Together we will make a difference in the life of a child. As the year is coming to close sooner rather than later, we would like to donate at least 500 more Superhero Activity Boxes and we hope you'll consider a donation today. Thank you.

Just a little peak at the impact the boxes have on children's patients, Please donate today.

As you can tell above, the box is colorful! It's sturdy and it includes a Superhero Activity Book, a canvas that says, I AM SUPER, an easel to display it on, watercolor paints, superhero sticker, crayons, a character lanyard to become a Superhero Agent and a personalized letter from one of the Characters of Character!

If you can imagine, ordering the items, writing grants, reaching out for donations, sponsorships and supporters, fulfilling these boxes is time consuming. It's well worth every hour, knowing that the children, the staff and the families appreciate these boxes. And, that's how you make a difference! Your support is appreciated to continue what we do. Thank you.
Visit us online to learn more here
visit us online to meet the Characters of Character here
Visit us online to conatact me, Joni
Subscribe to our Youtube chanel
Visit our Amazon Wish list here

Characters of Character is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a firm foundation for children to establish strong civic values. We hope you'll take a moment to write a review for our organization so that we may acquire a Great Non Profit Badge again this year. This helps us become more recognized and we need to be recognized to continue to empower the lives of our children. Click here for the link and we appreciate your support, thank you.

If you have not had the opportunity to meet the organization or have heard about the good work that they do, we encourage you to visit us online to learn more, and meet each of the characters here and learn about our projects here and don't forget about the FREE activities and resources we provide you to help reinforce good character in your home here. Your donations and Sponsorships help us to make a difference in the life of a child. Donate here.

Do'er Duck is one of the nine Characters of Character teaching our children strong civic values to enrich their lives, empower their daily activities and to build a better tomorrow. Just in time for the Pumpkin Season, too!

Teaching our children to persevere is vital, as a parent myself, I found the significance in this trait, it's important to encourage your children to try, try new things, practice old skills and to keep on going! Never Give Up! When a child can embrace this skill at an early age, they will internalize and grow with the mindset of trying, persevering and that quitting is not an option. Teach them to be problem solvers. Teach them to do their best. Teach them that learning, growing, practicing and a good outlook will take them far in this life.

We all struggle with the lack of perseverance one time or another. Don't you remember the feeling of accomplishment, pride and pure joy when you did! When you learned that new skill, when you mastered that new recipe, when you figured out the solution? This is because you didn't give up on the task. Let's teach our children the importance of perseverance and hard work to get to what we want to do and where we want to go. Meet Do'er Duck to help get you started!

Characters of Character is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide a firm foundation for children to establish strong civic values. Your support is important for us to do what we do, make a difference in the life of a child.

By support we mean Sponsorships or Donations. Sharing our work with others. Following/liking/commenting on our social platforms, such as facebook, instagram, pinterest, linkedin, twitter and staying in contact with us. We also have a YouTube Chanel with a lot of FREE resources for you to use.

Times have changed, that's obvious, however, teaching our children these vital core values and providing them a firm foundation to grow with is what our work is all about. Please consider a donation today, thank you.

Some of our projects we have taken on will remain as they have proven that there is great need and appreciation for them. One is our donation of our Superhero Activity Boxes to Children's Hospitals, in Illinois, Tennessee and Texas. The other is our Confidence Building Activity Boxes in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Please consider a donation, a sponsorship and to share these so that we can remain fulfilling these requests. A recent grant from the Nashville Predators provided 250 Superhero Activity Boxes to the Moroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Tennessee. We got to meet Gnash, their mascot and have agreed that there is so much we can accomplish together.

This summer we donated to South Texas Children's Hospital in Edinburg, Texas and then had the opportunity to Zoom and paint with the patient's at the hospital. This was a day filled with such great happiness as I introduced our character Do'er Duck to the children and got to paint with them as they received their Superhero Activity Box! Another way you can support our organization would be to fulfill something from our Amazon Wish List.

Donate to the South Texas Children's Hospital Project and help make a difference.

Donate to this project and help us to make a difference in the life of a child.
You may contact me, Joni Downey, the creator of the Characters of Character here.

Something to think about. Non-profit organizations exist because they have a passion to make a difference. It may be in your community, it may be on a national level, it may be locally or state wide. None the less, organizations depend on donations through out the year, even sponsorships for many of their projects. Many have a staff to help accomplish great feats, many have celebrity endorsements to become more well known, and many do what they do because they have a passion for their purpose.
That's us, we have a passion for our purpose, "to make a difference in the life of a child" When the pandemic arrived, our classes were cancelled, we did not have a reliable computer to host online activities, so, we created Character Corner on our website to continue to share these important messages to children, families, communities, etc.
What we have found is a need for our Superhero Activity boxes which we donate to Children's Hospitals. Before things were closed down, we were able to bring our character Self-Esteem Elephant to Shriner's Children Hospital in Chicago, what a thrill! I myself got to share the message with Self-Esteem Elephant of 'I LIKE ME' by discussing confidence and painting this character on canvas.

The Nashville Predators Foundation granted us funds to be able to donate to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Tennessee! What a thrill as we begin to build a fine relationship with Gnash their mascot and Self-Esteem Elephant who teaches, "I Like ME" a wonderful opportunity to plug into our children.

Characters of Character works tirelessly raising funds, seeking Sponsors and Donations to be able to gift these Superhero Activity Boxes to children's hospitals. YOU can become a part of this project and make a difference in the life of a child. We are donating in Illinois, Tennessee and Texas. Learn more here.
Another highlight was when I had a Birthday fundraiser on facebook and then donated to the South Texas Children's Hospital in Edinburg, Texas. They asked if I'd like to Zoom with the patients and paint with them, now isn't that a silly question! You know it!! I can't even begin to share the feelings of happiness when I see the children's faces all engaged in the activities. They even got to meet Do'er Duck whose message is, "Never Give Up" and it was a heartfelt moment for us all.

Warm-Hearted Walrus was able to visit the Huntley Hospital in Huntley, Illinois which also works with Ann and Robert Lurie's Children's Hospital in Chicago. Characters of Character donated Kindness Kits for the patients at this location and as you can see, they were so appreciated and we were do happy to donate to them!

IF, YOU would like to become a Sponsor, or to Donate, please do so here.
Check out other Sponsors who have become Sponsors for our Activity Boxes and the work that Characters of Character is doing to make a difference in the life of a child. We sure do appreciate YOU! Thank you so very much, because of your donations, we are able to provide a lot of JOY to so many girls and boys and make a difference, one child at a time. Isn't that what it's all about? Arno is our latest donor and we appreciate their support!