We believe that supporting others is part of what makes a strong society.  Here's a sampling of some of the "giving back" that occurs on behalf of Scoochie & Skiddles.

Supporting Non-Profits
Support for the Children's Author Community
Promoting LGBT Acceptance

Book Donations & Support for Non-Profit Organizations

Junior League of Rockford's Literacy Leaders Program

Our non-profit is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. 

The primary focus of our Literacy Leaders project is a partnership with local pediatric clinics serving under served areas of the Rockford community. Our goal is to place Bookworm vending machines filled with new books of varying skill levels in these select clinics. When a child visits one of these clinics, they will be given a special token to use in the vending machine. The idea of being able to pick a book of their own from the vending machine will make them excited to read it! We are hoping to fill these vending machines with books that represent the demographics of the children that they are serving. We are trying to source a wide variety of diverse books so these children can see themselves in the books they are choosing.

How to Support and Program and Get Involved –  Learn more or donate to the project fund on this website.   Contact Project Chairperson, Jennifer Patterson at jlrockford@jlrockford.org or by phone at 815-399-4518.
Check out Tom's IG Live interview with Hindi's Library Founder.

Hindi's Libraries

In August of 2018, our community lost an incredible human being, Dr. Hindi Krinsky, at the young age of 32. To continue Hindi's legacy, family and friends chose to build three free-standing libraries in her children's school. In order to fill these libraries, we reached out to the community for gently used books.  Within two weeks, we received approximately 500 books.   We knew then that this was going to be much bigger than just three small libraries. 

Since January 2019, we have collected over 275,000 books which we've donated to more than 650 organizations throughout the world spanning across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Africa, Haiti, India & Israel.  Together, we continue to share Hindi's passion for reading and love of literature with thousands of children. 

For more info, contact info@hindislibraries.org

The Representation Project of The Children's Museum of Lowcountry

Our goal is to have a diverse, rotating library of books that represent an array of characters for children to identify with.
​
The Representation Project seeks to ensure that every child who comes through the little Museum door feels seen and represented. Our first step is to improve the Museum’s collection of books, so that families of all backgrounds have access to books that are relatable to their personal experience, including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, culture, ability, and family structure.

You can help by making a donation or donating a book to the Museum!  Books can be delivered to the Museum at:

Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
Attn: Development Team
25 Ann Street
Charleston, SC 29403

The Page Turning Warriors of West Branch Elementary School

​West Branch Elementary is a K-4, Title 1 school in rural Pennsylvania.  The Page Turning Warriors is a group of West Branch students that practice four components of reading- listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  COVID has been detrimental in education, especially when it comes to literacy skills.  Husband and wife duo, Jerry and Ashley White, an elementary librarian and reading specialist respectively, knew some students were going to need  extra help to help close the 'COVID gap'.  The challenge was going to be how to instruct students on skills they were lacking, but doing so in a unique manner that was hands on, as well as each having a feeling of accomplishment.  ​When they reached out looking for book donations to support activities to inspire kids and families to read together, we were happy to donate copies of both Scoochie & Skiddles books.  They had over 400 people at their first event and have now started a kids book review program called the Page Turning Warriors!

Enchanted Makeovers - Helping Women and Children in Shelters

Terry Grahl is the Founder, Visionary and CEO of Enchanted Makeovers. She is also a wife, mother to four wonderful adult children, a storyteller and a person who went through homelessness as a child. She is a flea market fanatic who loves to rescue grandmas old treasures and use them for a greater purpose.

Terry is on a mission to not only bring women and children in shelters dignity but also to inspire our village of donors and volunteers to dream while they’re awake, heal their hearts and to find their voices. Through our transformative programs, women and children in shelters, as well as volunteers and donors are introduced to a way of life, a way of thinking that helps to shift their outlook about their lives and possibilities for the future. A path is created for creativity, self-expression, and worth. They can finally go to bed and dream and wake up with hope.

The Firebird Book Awards donates their award competition entry fees to Enchanted Makeovers.  Additionally custom-made pillowcases and books are donated for use by the women and children served by Enchanted Makeovers.  Scoochie & Skiddles participation in the Firebird Book Awards competition has a direct benefit to Enchanted Makeovers.

Supporting the Author Community

Boom!Bang!OhMyGosh!Wow! podcast for Author Tips

Pat Rullo is a renowned author, patient safety speaker, radio host, audiobook narrator and producer.  Most importantly, according to her, she was also rescued by 13 cats!  She currently has over 7,000 followers on Twitter and her podcast airs on iHeart, Spotify, Apple, Google and other common podcast platforms.

Pat has an author tips podcast call the "Boom!Bang!OhMyGosh!Wow!" podcast.  Scoochie & Skiddles author, Tom Tracy, has had segments featured on this podcast twice - first discussing the importance of finding the right inspiration and secondly discussing the idea of paying it forward (see "Friends' Favorites" info below).  Each segment is about five minutes or less, so it is a quick listen.  

"Friends' Favorites" Promotes Other Children's Authors

​When one of us wins, we all win.  That is the concept behind the "Friends' Favorites" page of the Scoochie & Skiddles website.  This page is dedicated to showcasing the talents of children's authors from across the globe.  Scoochie and Skiddles are in good coming with this passionate group of authors.  Their titles are categorized to make searching for a topic of interest easy.  Each book is linked to the author's preferred purchase site.  We host this site for free and do not earn a commission nor an affiliate fee.  This is truly done in a pay it forward fashion.  Please check out our Friends' Favorites page and consider purchasing one of these amazing children's books.

Telling Our Story to Further Representation of LGBTQ+ Families

Feature on CBS-Philly

Tom and his family's story was featured during a primetime broadcast on the Philadelphia affiliate of CBS.  This two minute segment discusses the importance of representation of family diversity in children's literature.  Of course, the real life "Scoochie" is the star of the piece - the way it should be.  

Featured Story in Gay Parent Magazine

Gay Parent Magazine, a leading resource for LGBTQ parenting since 1988, featured Tom's family and the Scoochie & Skiddles books in their July-August 2022 issue.  Gay Parent Magazine has a significant subscriber / reader base and Tom hopes that by reaching this broad audience it will continue to inspire other families to also tell their story.  

GWK Academy Mentorship Program

Tom is a volunteer mentor for the GWK Academy.  The GWK Academy provides access to other men who have become dads either through surrogacy, adoption or foster to adopt to share their personal experiences, insights and guidance.

Two  Sisters, Two Very Different Adoptions

GaysWithKids November 30, 2021 featured story of Tom and Elliott's adoption experience of their two daughters.

Baby Steps - an original mini-documentary

Created by the rising film director/producer, Darren West, Baby Steps is the story of Tom and Elliott's adoption process with their first daughter.  At just 5 minutes long, this mini-documentary captures the anticipation, anxiety, fear, and jubilation of the adoption process.  Award-winning documentary.

Accolades Include:
LDTV Awards- Best Documentary in the Lenape Regional High School District 
WHYY Youth Media Awards- 2nd place in Documentary Category 
FilmNOW Festival- 1st place in Documentary Category
 Diamond Docs Film Festival- Finalist
 Rowan RTF Media Fest + Awards- Finalist in Documentary 

Baby Steps - outtakes and bloopers

As with all films, there is often more left on the cutting room floor than what the audience finally sees.  This additional footage gives you a sense of what director/producer, Darren West, had to sift through in order to produce the final version.  We're sorry, Darren.  ;)

The Parent Trip

Tom and Elliott's journey to adoption as featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article.
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