The Unforgettables Foundation (TUF) is truly a once-in-a-generation charity organization! The 501 (c) (3) public benefit nonprofit will officially celebrate 20 years completed since its founding start-up meeting on, April 30, 1999, next week at Montecito Mortuary’s Cypress Chapel (original host site) in Colton.
Co-Founder Tim Evans, MDiv., CRFE, former founding Chaplain of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, reflects – “it is very rare to have a philanthropic group, which has been created in the Inland Empire to last 20 years and expand to other areas of North America in Chapters as well. From our little founding ideas, which came out of the Highland and Redlands area, the volunteer and donor team has been able to raise and share funds for a funeral with thousands of grieving and cash strapped parents and families who have lost a child – whether in the Inland Empire, other parts of California, the Southwest United States, and across Northern America – even to Toronto and Ottawa Canada!” Evans became the full-time CEO of the group 8 years ago after being the unpaid leader for 12 years.
Being the most experienced charity of its type and the oldest in its sector, as noted by eHow 2 years ago, The Unforgettables, from its small office and tiny staff of less than 2 full time employees in Redlands, reaches an hour by car to south of Temecula Valley, west 60 minutes to the Orange County Coast, east 70 miles to Indio/Coachella (and beyond to the Colorado River), and up the same distance to Barstow (with a new Chapter in Las Vegas 3 hours away.)
TUF has, in its Inland So Cal service area, helped and assisted around 6,000 struggling “loved ones left behind” families with burial, funeral, memorial and/or headstone grants covering approximately 120 different towns and cities. San Bernardino City is the leading community of request (at 10 percent of total) with Riverside City being second. Victorville/Apple Valley, Fontana/Rialto, and Desert Hot Springs/Palm Springs are also sources of multiple requests annually. Well over $2 million has been given out to the mortuary accounts of requesting parents since 2000.
“It is such a blessing for me to witness this idea that God gave me to give so many neighbors, friends and strangers, a helping hand on their hardest and darkest day. The good-hearted and dedicated people and organizations who’ve given of their wisdom, work, and wealth (including hospitals and mortuaries) just validates that we were seeing a legitimate gap that needed to be filled. Now, we are filled with gratefulness, and we are only just getting started," concludes Evans.
The important and urgent mission is to react when a child 18 years down to 30 weeks of pregnancy dies from any cause of childhood death (like SIDS, Sickle Cell, Suicide, Cancer, or Car Accidents) and/or if the family has inadequate funds for a signified burial. Plus to be proactive in educating and equipping the community to confront and address problems that can lead to the deaths of kids.