By Tori Montemurro, Granting Coordinator

About nine months ago I joined the staff at the Rosenberg Fund for Children as the new Granting Coordinator. In this role I have begun to build relationships with some of the 70+ families of targeted activists who the RFC currently supports. I’ve shared in their pride when their children improve academically because of the tutoring they received using their RFC grants, I’ve cheered alongside them when their children thrive on their sports team or excel in their music lessons, and I’ve celebrated with them when they were finally able to leave sanctuary.

I’ve also been lucky enough to share grantee parents’ excitement when their children find what they are passionate about. This past spring, I ordered a beehive for a beneficiary who wanted to use his grant funds to learn about keeping bees. Since receiving the hive, he has started to show an interest in science and nature. His mom has shared stories with me about how he now pays attention to what kind of flowers grow in his neighborhood, and he has even found a local mentor to teach him about beekeeping and to help him prepare the hive before he gets a colony of his own.

I’ve also shared these families’ pain; I’ve heard stories of the targeting they have faced, I have felt hopeless as the pandemic forced some of our families from their homes, and I’ve felt angry at the prison system and detention centers that have taken parents from their children. Reviewing their applications gave me insight into what brought them to the RFC in the first place, and at times I was frankly overwhelmed by the targeting they have collectively endured. Through it all, I’ve been inspired by these activist parents’ commitment to fighting for a better world for all of us.

Hearing the stories of the repression these incredible individuals have faced due to their activism, and the impact it has had on their children, made me even more grateful to be in the position to support them in whatever ways I can. I am looking forward to continuing to get to know, and work with, each of these families in the future!