ELIZABETH MARQUARDT AT FAMILY SCHOLARS WRITES:

I had the pleasure yesterday of having breakfast with Suzy Marta, founder and president of Rainbows. If you’ve spent much time learning about children of divorce you’ve definitely heard of Rainbows–it’s a really wonderful curriculum used by many schools and other organizations to help children around the time of their parents’ divorce.

What I didn’t know is how far the program has reached (49 states and 13 nations) and how many kids it has reached (nearly one million). And I learned a great deal yesterday about the other programs Rainbows has created for children struggling with enormous losses, such as the death of a parent or dealing with disasters like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. Suzy Marta is now working in the Gulf Coast implementing her new program, Silver Linings, for kids there who have lost everything. She gives these kids journals where they can process the intense feelings, including the sights, sounds, and smells (apparently saltwater and rotting fish are high on the list) that bring back memories of the disaster. (She also tried to get a playground installed at a site where 600 families live in camper trailers–FEMA said no because of liability. I almost cried.)

She was incredibly inspiring–a visionary and a woman of action. If you don’t know about her organization, learn more. And if you’re looking for a way to help children in your community or somewhere else, check them out.

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