The Tears Foundation, started the Charlie & Braden project a few months after Charlie and Braden were killed.  Tears Foundation has been in existence for 10 years and provides financial help to families that lose children under 12 months.  This is a traumatic event, for any family.  We first learned of the Tears Foundation when Sarah the founder organized a “bake sale” to raise money for the needs of the Cox family.  Charlie & Braden’s grandparents, little did we know how much that would help us.   The bake sale was a huge success, it was held at a local fire department parking lot, and the line to donate was several blocks long, the sale raised thousands of dollars, that’s right a bake sale, thousands of dollars.  We all know it wasn’t the cookies, it was the community showing their support of our family, and outrage at the murder of Charlie and Braden.

The Charlie and Braden Project expands the scope of those The Tears Foundation helps.  They now help families who lose children up to age 12.  unfortunately their initial contributions to the Charlie and Braden Project have been used up.  They are in need of more donations, but this has not stopped them from helping families.  To their credit they continue to help families who suffer this loss, but they could sure use more donations.

To make a donation go to their website http://www.thetearsfoundation.org/ click donate, and then use the purpose of donation drop down menu, select Charlie & Braden Project, and make your donation.  The only other place currently I could find Charlie & Braden Project was under the Assistance Tab, where people go to get assistance.   I have asked that they put something on their front page to better let people know about the Project.

The Tears Project has chapters across the Nation and  has helped many families and we fully support their efforts and hope you will too.  Thank You

Angel before dedication

The Christmas Box Angel was dedicated on December 6th at 7pm.  The event was well attended despite the soggy weather earlier in the day.  Like a miracle, common to Christmas Box Angel events we are told, the rain stopped, the clouds dissipated and it was a beautiful dedication.

Richard Paul Evans, in an extraordinary demonstration of support interrupted his own 15 year attendance at the Salt Lake City Christmas Box Angel site and came to participate in this Christmas Box Angel donated on behalf Charlie and Braden Powell.  Killed by their Father on February 5, 2012.  Over 300 people braved the cold, damp conditions, to attend, including 20 children from the Firgrove Ward Primary, who provided the voices of Angels to the proceeding.  Local dignitaries spoke briefly as did I, everyone keeping it very brief due to conditions.  There were many in the audience who had lost loved ones and expressed their gratitude for this beautiful statue, and the peace they felt gazing on it.

The following morning as Judy I went to visit the site and double-check that the area had been cleaned up and was presentable.   While we were there a young woman approached me and thanked us for putting up the memorial.  She told us her daughter would have turned one today but she had died a few months earlier.  She said the Christmas box angel and the dedication which she attended the night before had given her peace and hope.   I told her that we would put her daughter’s name on one of the bricks at the site, if she would allow it and provide us the details.  She asked how much it would cost?  I told her that future requests would have a nominal cost, but that we would be sure her daughter’s name was added at no cost to her.  Another man unrelated and unknown to the woman or us, had been there observing and reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and insisted he would pay for the name to be added.   We told him it would be taken care of, but he insisted that we take the money to help pay any cost for her or for others.   Grateful for his willingness to give to others, we accepted his donation and thanked him.  There where at least 5 cars that drove by during our brief exchange each with people who had loved ones in the cemetery and wanted to see this beautiful new addition.

Please support the Christmas Box House, and continue to support the Susan Cox Powell Foundation.   Our family thanks you for your support and promise that we will do our best to join with you in helping to fight domestic violence and provide help and comfort to families and people as they struggle with their tragedy.  We realize there are many good causes all striving to help, please join with those that you feel are worthwhile, so together we can fight evil.

Chuck Cox

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The Foundation recommends your support of these worthwhile events.

Please use this link http://fnfvcv.org/ or the link in our website for more information