For any child, the loss of a parent can be devastating. Sadly, this happens far too often in South Los Angeles, where crime is high and access to quality health care is low. Thus, numerous children each year in our community’s schools, including Nativity, suffer the heartbreak and subsequent economic devastation of losing a parent. Often these children  have to leave the stability of their school environment due to economic hardship just when they need it most.

Thankfully, an angel came to Nativity two years ago, just in time to help several of our families who were grieving the sudden loss of a mother or father and wondering how they were going to be able to keep their children in the nurturing and caring Nativity environment. That angel is Jennifer Caspar and the Eric’s Kids Fund.

Jennifer and her two daughters know firsthand the feelings of loss and grief from losing a beloved family member. Jennifer’s husband, Eric, died suddenly at home a few years ago, right after coaching one his daughter’s soccer games. As devastating as that sudden, unexpected tragedy was for the family, Jennifer and her daughters, who at the time attended St. Paul’s Catholic School, nonetheless found strength and solace in being part of a supportive and caring Catholic community, which helped them heal. Inspired and touched by that experience, Jennifer turned her grief into hope by founding the Eric’s Kids Fund, to provide tuition assistance for children in inner-city Catholic schools who suffer the loss of a parent.

“Jennifer has been a godsend and a blessing,” notes Nativity principal Antonio Felix. “Eric’s Kids not only provides our suffering families an economic lifeline, but also works to engage the kids and make them feel a part of a community by inviting them to soccer games, picnics and events with other children in their program. She also brought in grief counselors to give a talk to our faculty about how to deal with children who’ve experienced this kind of loss. We are so grateful for that extra help, especially as we sadly got to put the training to use when one of our first graders lost her mother recently. Because of the training, I knew exactly how to handle the situation, as did our teachers.”

We are so grateful for the generosity of Eric’s Kids Fund, which makes it possible for Nativity to provide a quality Catholic education for the children of our impoverished community, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Thank you, Jennifer Caspar and Eric’s Kids, for all you have done and continue to do for Nativity!