The hardest part of my job as Chive Charities’ Programs Director is opening application after application—each one a window into someone’s hardest days— knowing we won’t be able to help everyone. I read stories no one should ever have to live through: insurance denying basic medical equipment, families navigating impossible loss, parents fighting every day just to keep their children alive. I read stories of trauma, courage, grit, and survival. And every single one stays with me.

What moves me most is the vulnerability people offer when they sit down at a computer and pour out their lives to a stranger. They trust us with their truth, offering pieces of themselves that are often fragile, raw, and brave.

Sometimes their words stop me cold.

“The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy.”

Others write through exhaustion and determination, refusing to give up.

“Every time I make progress, another roadblock appears. Despite it all, I refuse to give up… This fight is mine to win, and I will do everything in my power to see it through.”

Parents share their hopes in the simplest, most powerful ways.

“This opportunity represents a chance to change her future… We would be forever grateful to be part of the Chive Charities family.”

“This request is not just about equipment — it’s about giving her the chance to live her best possible life… Your help would mean more than words can express.”

Others turn their pain into advocacy, dreaming bigger even in the hardest circumstances.

“I aim to make people with chronic illness feel seen… My dream is to create a federal bill supporting single parents raising medically complex children… This grant would help me continue that mission—not just to survive, but to create change.”

Some write to us with simple gratitude and humility.

“Thank you so much for offering these types of grants—your support means the world to families like ours.”

And then some share insight that reveal how isolating their lives can be—how much hope a single act of support can bring.

“Living with this diagnosis has made my world smaller in ways I never anticipated… This grant would give me the freedom to reconnect with the outdoors, regain a sense of independence, and participate more fully in the life I’ve had to put on pause.”

Others speak from a place of purpose and strength.

“Every challenge I face has deepened my commitment to making education a bridge to opportunity… Your support would empower me to advocate for academic and health equity in my community.”

And sometimes, families simply write.

"Thank you for helping us feel less alone and for giving us hope.”

I want every applicant to know this: we carry your story with care. We sit with it. We hold it close. We honor it. And when we are forced to say “no” because of our limited budget, it never—ever—means you were less deserving. Every person who applies deserves the life-saving, life-changing support they’re seeking.

Three times a year, our team and board gather in a room to make the hardest decisions we face as an organization. We feel the weight of every story. We search for the fairest path forward. We reread stories again and again, wishing we could stretch our resources just a little further. And when the decisions are made, we take time to honor every single person who trusted us with their story.

To the parents, the caretakers, the Veterans, the survivors, the dreamers, the fighters:
We see you.
We honor you.
We carry your stories with us.
And we look forward to the day when every person who reaches out finds the “yes” that they deserve.

This piece is meant to pull back the curtain—to show the love, heartbreak, and reverence that shape every decision we make. But more than that, it is meant to honor the people who take a chance on us. It’s about the applicants who bare their souls, lives, and dreams during the application process. It’s also a huge THANK YOU to the supporters out there who make everything possible by bringing HOPE to those applicants who have nowhere else to turn. 

You can bring HOPE to the next generation of applicants by taking part in our Hope for the Holidays campaign, going on right now. Make a new monthly contribution to Chive Charities HERE or upgrade your current monthly donation HERE.