Hearing Care for Needy Children

From January 1st to December 30^th 2012, The KEX Kids Fund received $194,805 from businesses, foundations, individuals, and service organizations. These funds include $4175 from a 20/20 Celebration of Sight and Sound fundraising event held January 15th in Oregon City and $34,245.46 in corporate sponsorships for the May 20^th golf tournament.  These funds also include payments for pledges ($106,734) from our annual Thanksgiving Fundraiser where we obtain most of our funding for the following year.  Funds are kept in one account and are used for both of our Hearing Care and Vision Care Programs.

Hearing Care Program Services expenses for 2012 were $40,527.12. The KEX Kids Fund provided care for 49 children during 2012.  These children received hearing care services valued at nearly $160,000.  In 2011, Oregon legislation impacted our hearing program in two ways.  First the requirement that insurance companies to cover costs of hearing aids for children under 18 reduced our hearing program expenses.  Second, cuts in education funding resulted in a reduction in staff at one of our ESD hearing care locations.  The audiologist is able to continue to provide hearing exams but is no longer able to fit or dispense hearing aids.  In our October 2011 board meeting, we approved reimbursement of two private providers for the fitting and dispensing fees for children in this area.  Private audiology providers are also offering services to our children.  The following message is from Jeff Cox, Audiologist for the nonprofit Hearing Education and Resource Technologies in Washington County.  The KEX Kids Fund has been a wonderful resource for families in the community that would otherwise not be able to afford hearing aids or hearing aid repairs for their children. Over the past year we have used the fund on many occasions to help serve children throughout Washington County. The application process is simple, efficient, and timely. No doubt, without this support, there would be many children that would struggle to hear when developing speech and language or when attending school.

From January 1st to September 30^th 2012, The KEX Kids Fund received $87,529.59 from businesses, foundations, individuals, and service organizations. These funds include $4175 from a 20/20 Celebration of Sight and Sound fundraising event held January 15th in Oregon City and $34,245.46 in corporate sponsorships for the May 20^th golf tournament.  Funds are kept in one account and are used for both of our Hearing Care and Vision Care Programs.

Hearing Care Program Services expenses for three quarters of 2012 were $33,291.50. The KEX Kids Fund provided care for 41 children during this time period.  These children received hearing care services valued at nearly $135,000.  In 2011, Oregon legislation impacted our hearing program in two ways.  First the requirement that insurance companies to cover costs of hearing aids for children under 18 reduced our hearing program expenses.  Second, cuts in education funding resulted in a reduction in staff at one of our ESD hearing care locations.  The audiologist is able to continue to provide hearing exams but is no longer able to fit or dispense hearing aids.  In our October 2011 board meeting, we approved reimbursement of two private providers for the fitting and dispensing fees for children in this area.