Help Friends of Karen Send Children Back to School with Smiles
Friends of Karen, a children's charity that provides vital support to local families caring for a child battling cancer, aims to fill 800 backpacks for the upcoming school year.
North Salem, NY, July 09, 2015 --(PR.com)-- When Kyle and Samantha’s mom saw the delivery from Friends of Karen, she was elated. Inside were the much needed supplies for her children to begin a successful school year. It was a relief for the family, whose other child, Erin, was diagnosed with leukemia.
“The last thing on my priority list, unfortunately, was getting the kids off to school with their necessary items. What a surprise when Friends of Karen stepped in with this beautiful gesture,” she said. “Not just for Erin, but for my other children as well.”
Friends of Karen, which provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to local families caring for a child with cancer or another life-threatening illness, has a Gifts For Children program that includes back-to-school help. Over the summer Friends of Karen collects donations of school supplies, backpacks and clothing gift cards to make sure each of their sick children and their well siblings starts the school year with the right supplies and something new to wear.
“Imagine going into a store and seeing happy, healthy children choosing school supplies and clothing while your own child is in the hospital, or having to decide whether to buy a backpack and new school shoes for your ‘well’ child or paying for medicine for your sick child,” says Judith Factor, Friends of Karen’s Executive Director. “Our back-to-school collection is a wonderful way the community can help in a very tangible way, so that parents don’t have to make these impossible choices.”
Friends of Karen needs donations of new backpacks and school supplies, including new 2” 3-ring binders, 2-pocket folders, wide- or college-ruled filler paper, pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, washable markers, and wide-ruled composition books. $25 gift cards to Forever 21, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, or Target are greatly needed. If you can donate any of these back-to-school supplies or gift cards, or if you prefer to help with a cash donation, please contact Denise Tredwell at DeniseTredwell@friendsofkaren.org or (914) 617-4052.
“We’ve been doing this program for over 20 years, and it keeps getting bigger,” Ms. Tredwell says. “This year, we have school lists for more than 800 children!”
Friends of Karen is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) charity, and the only organization in the New York Tri-State region that provides the comprehensive support that families caring for a child battling a life-threatening illness so desperately need to remain functioning and able to cope. Since starting in 1978, they have touched the lives of nearly 14,000 children. Headquartered in North Salem with additional offices on Long Island and in Manhattan, Friends of Karen is widely recognized for its operational efficiency, with 83¢ of every dollar going directly to support families. Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial efficiency and responsibility of more than 8,000 U.S. charities, consistently awards Friends of Karen a 4-star rating – their highest award.
To find out more about Friends of Karen, visit www.friendsofkaren.org
“The last thing on my priority list, unfortunately, was getting the kids off to school with their necessary items. What a surprise when Friends of Karen stepped in with this beautiful gesture,” she said. “Not just for Erin, but for my other children as well.”
Friends of Karen, which provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to local families caring for a child with cancer or another life-threatening illness, has a Gifts For Children program that includes back-to-school help. Over the summer Friends of Karen collects donations of school supplies, backpacks and clothing gift cards to make sure each of their sick children and their well siblings starts the school year with the right supplies and something new to wear.
“Imagine going into a store and seeing happy, healthy children choosing school supplies and clothing while your own child is in the hospital, or having to decide whether to buy a backpack and new school shoes for your ‘well’ child or paying for medicine for your sick child,” says Judith Factor, Friends of Karen’s Executive Director. “Our back-to-school collection is a wonderful way the community can help in a very tangible way, so that parents don’t have to make these impossible choices.”
Friends of Karen needs donations of new backpacks and school supplies, including new 2” 3-ring binders, 2-pocket folders, wide- or college-ruled filler paper, pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, washable markers, and wide-ruled composition books. $25 gift cards to Forever 21, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, or Target are greatly needed. If you can donate any of these back-to-school supplies or gift cards, or if you prefer to help with a cash donation, please contact Denise Tredwell at DeniseTredwell@friendsofkaren.org or (914) 617-4052.
“We’ve been doing this program for over 20 years, and it keeps getting bigger,” Ms. Tredwell says. “This year, we have school lists for more than 800 children!”
Friends of Karen is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) charity, and the only organization in the New York Tri-State region that provides the comprehensive support that families caring for a child battling a life-threatening illness so desperately need to remain functioning and able to cope. Since starting in 1978, they have touched the lives of nearly 14,000 children. Headquartered in North Salem with additional offices on Long Island and in Manhattan, Friends of Karen is widely recognized for its operational efficiency, with 83¢ of every dollar going directly to support families. Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial efficiency and responsibility of more than 8,000 U.S. charities, consistently awards Friends of Karen a 4-star rating – their highest award.
To find out more about Friends of Karen, visit www.friendsofkaren.org
Contact
Friends of Karen
Lisa Dashman
(914) 617-4042
www.FriendsOfKaren.org
Lisa Dashman
(914) 617-4042
www.FriendsOfKaren.org
Contact
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