A Shared Community Vision

Abstract

Dear Citizens of Springfield:

In 1999, we at the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation began to wonder, “What would it take for an entire city to come together around improving the lives of children?” We must confess that at first we thought the idea was a bit too pie-in-the-sky. But the startling statistics regarding the state of our children’s welfare kept grounding the idea in necessity.

We started discussing the idea with some of the city’s most visible child advocates. They were struck by its power and immediately volunteered to come together around this profoundly important issue. In fact, hundreds of people have participated in formulating what is now known as the Cherish Every Child Initiative.

The attached PDF document  summarizes the work of these committed individuals in shaping a shared agenda to ensure a rewarding childhood and a promising future for children. The goal of the initiative, quite simply put, is to improve the lives of children, birth through age eight, in Springfield, Massachusetts.