As we close out our 20th anniversary year, we’re celebrating something extraordinary: 2025 was the most impactful year in Fred’s Footsteps history. We served more families and delivered more direct financial support than ever before – because families caring for a seriously ill, injured, or disabled child need relief, and they need it now.

Record impact in 2025

• 150+ Families helped in 2025 – Our highest annual total ever, surpassing the previous record of 145 families in 2024.
• $1.1 Million provided to families in need in 2025, crossing the million-dollar mark in a single year for the first time in our 20-year history – up from $975,000 in 2024.
• This milestone also fulfills Year 1 of our ‘5 in 5 Pledge’ – our commitment to administer $5 million in support beginning in 2025 and extending over the next five years.

In 2025, we helped cover the non-medical expenses that create precious breathing room so parents can focus on what matters most: their child’s health.

And through the spirit of our Homecoming campaign, we’re reminded: a home is the whole family, not just the child. The 150+ families we served included siblings, too – children who may not know every detail, but absolutely feel the weight their parents carry, and the relief when support arrives. Across the 150+ families served, there were over 200 siblings – that’s more than 350 children who felt the difference.

Looking ahead: the need is worsening, not stabilizing

This increased level of support is not a coincidence. The needs we’re seeing are urgent and growing.  It’s heartbreaking to hear what families are facing while trying to keep their child safe and stable.

As we enter 2026, we expect families, especially those in the ALICE community (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), to face even greater strain:

• Rising costs of medical care
• Inflation and surging housing costs threatening stability
• Transportation burdens and accessibility needs continuing to mount
• A strained caregiving and nursing workforce making it harder for parents to return to work
• Growing gaps in public assistance programs further exacerbating hardship

We cannot back down now. In 2025, increased grant limits went into effect; 2026 is the first full year those higher distributions will impact our annual budget. Without expanded giving, we risk falling behind the real needs of families.

Momentum and confidence as we build

We are meeting this moment with strength and hope. 2025 was also a record year for fundraising, including the largest multi-year commitments in our organization’s history. These transformative gifts help ensure Fred’s Footsteps remains a steady source of support for families facing unimaginable hardship.

Overall, 2025 saw a nearly 18% increase in fundraising.  It was also a record-breaking year for grants received by Fred’s Footsteps, reflecting extraordinary trust in our mission and growing recognition of our impact. This surge in grant funding strengthens every part of our work, fueling programs, expanding reach, and ensuring we can help even more families facing medical crises. We are profoundly grateful to the funders who believe in our mission.

Call to action

As we step into 2026, we’re asking our community to keep building this momentum. The need is growing – and so must we. Your support helps families manage the bills that don’t stop when a child gets sick: housing, utilities, transportation, and other essentials that keep a household steady.

If you haven’t done so already, ♦ please consider a gift to our year-end campaign ♦

Year-end contributions are our largest source of support outside of events, and they directly determine how many families we can help in 2026. Any gift, large or small, fuels our impact all year.