As parents, we observe first-hand the impact that extra-curricular activities have on a child’s development. Children gain valuable life skills and foundational relationships through sports, music lessons and other artistic endeavors. It is a tremendous blessing to be able to afford these opportunities for our children.
During the daydreaming season of expecting our firstborn, Shepard, Leslie and I committed to provide the same growth opportunities for other children that we provide for our own. When Shepard began Jiu-Jitsu classes at the age of 5, we quickly saw a huge leap in his development and maturity. That reminded us of our commitment to provide access to growth activities like this to other children.
The owner of Travis Lutter Jiu-Jitsu knew of two children from a nearby neighborhood in Fort Worth, TX who had been wanting to train at the gym, but whose parents could not afford the costs associated with the classes. Sponsorships for these two children were the very beginning of the Shepard Network.
About the Shepard Network (Who We Are)
The Shepard Network creates partnerships between activity providers and their surrounding communities. This allows children and teens from more diverse backgrounds to participate in life-changing activities, fueling a passion for the arts, sports, martial arts, and more. We believe that providing access to activities like this will strengthen children and expand their relationships. Parents, families and entire communities will experience the benefits.
The Shepard Network is two-pronged:
•We offer parents and generous individuals a way to directly provide a local child the opportunity to participate in an otherwise unaffordable activity.
•We help activity providers raise money to cover the annual or seasonal costs associated with their activity, and we guide their engagement with their local communities to choose qualified recipients for each scholarship.
Fundraising (Get Involved)
We are a quarter of the way to our $100,000 start-up fundraising goal. These start-up funds will allow us to hire someone to help run the organization and maintain a healthy budget as the Shepard Network grows and expands. As we pass the $25,000 mark, we are aiming to raise another $75,000 by the end of summer 2021.