My name is Celine and I just joined the Flawless Foundation team and the other day I went with Janine to the Pioneer Special School to help donate new shoes that were graciously provided by Adidas, Chelsea and her mother. It was like being Santa Claus in October. This was my first time visiting the school and I could not have asked for a better way to grasp the very essence of what the Flawless Foundation does for children and how much of an impact Janine Francolini has on the people around her.
The other day was an extremely busy day for Janine and going to visit the kids and staff at Pioneer seemed to be the most extraordinarily grounding experience for her and myself. It reminds us of what this is all about and why it is so important to continue on with our work. It is so encouraging to see the Pioneer staff responding to Janine with tremendous gratitude and happiness. I have the utmost respect for the people who work day to day with the children. Within two minutes of walking through the door we saw a child lying on the floor, in extreme distress and with two members of the faculty by his side, both working to deescalate the the child. This was hard to watch and made my heart heavy. The same staff was still working with the child when we left about an hour later, but I was very impressed by how the they were handling the situation and that the child seemed to have become a bit more responsive to them. They know what it takes to help these children and have the astonishing patience to do it.
One of the most emotional experiences of the day was when a little boy, who must have been about 11, spotted Janine and eagerly came over to give her a hug and talk to her. He asked her how she was, how her son was doing, and wanted to show off his cool new hooded sweatshirt. There was so much love in the encounter from Janine and it was clear that the child adores her. Seeing this child who has improved substantially and was responding so positively to Janine really drives home the fact that children are resilient human beings and that the Flawless Foundation’s work is not in vain. I am so thankful to be a part of the Flawless Foundation and to see the direct impact of this organization’s work on the very vulnerable children who need it.
It is experiences like visiting the faculty and children at Pioneer Special School that reminds us of why continuing the work of Flawless is important. And it is people like Janine Francolini who are helping to lead the way towards the holistic healing of children. This is the essence of Flawless!
