On Saturday, November 6, 2021 our Kenzi’s Causes lost one of our own. To know him, was to love him.
Jeff Jackson became a HUGE part of the Kenzi’s Causes family when he volunteered to be our Guy with a Truck and help wherever we needed him. For more than five years Jeff has been a volunteer, friend, supporter and biggest HERO we could have asked for. Kenzi’s Causes never knew how much we needed Jeff until he showed up in our lives at a Toy Shop at the National Western Complex. From the moment he arrived, he never stopped giving to us, our families and those he served.
Jeff offered and delivered thousands of toys over the last 5 years to nonprofit partners and children in the community who would otherwise go without. He would load up his truck; every space was filled with a new toy for a child in need, and happily drop them off to those he knew were in need. It didn’t matter that it was 5pm on a Saturday evening in December; he saw the need and wanted to help fill it. The kids he brought joy to often didn’t know that their joy was only possible because of Jeff.
Each August Jeff showed up for our Packz4Kidz program, he knew we could use the help and he would be there. He unloaded boxes and backpacks and helped ensure that thousands of children would start the first day of school with what they needed to be successful and feel like everyone else. Jeff enjoyed directing traffic at these events with a huge smile on his face. After our events, he loaded every space he had with backpacks to deliver more joy to kids.
Jeff was the one Julie and Jessica could count on when someone wanted to donate furniture to a family in our Kenzi’s Kidz program. He never said no, he just found a way and the time to make it happen. We have so many stories of him making a delivery to change lives. The joy he brought by delivering bunk beds so kids in our program would have their own warm, beds to sleep in or a table to finally have a meal around. Priceless memories and joy he was able to bring to our families.
Santa Jeff made our kids smile at our Holiday Parties over the last three years. He would take months to grow out his white beard so our kids could have photos with Santa and have a gift from him. We don’t know if Jeff loved this more or our kids did. Even with COVID in 2020, Jeff arrived with a Santa Chair and handed out gifts and took photos with our kids in the Safelite parking lot.
The biggest legacy Jeff has left Kenzi’s Causes with is our K Club. Jeff loved working with the young men and boys in our program and he wanted to be able to be a mentor to many of them as often as he could. Jeff came up with an outing each quarter and would round up the boys and our other mentors to provide the young men and boys with something to do. He took them hiking, fishing, to Wings Over the Rockies and even had them help clean up the yard of a woman in need. Jeff picked up several of the kids from their homes just so they wouldn’t miss out. He always made sure they had a warm meal as well. These young men and boys are forever better people because they had Jeff.
Our lives and our organization are better because of Jeff Jackson. We will miss him and honor his loving spirit through our programs and every child he impacted in our Kenzi’s Kidz program. Honor Jeff in your own life by living the way he did with a giving heart and spirit. May you rest in peace Jeff. We love you and will miss you so much.