Suggested Charities with Strong RecordsClick below for a description & contact informationP.O. Box 423 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 654-2411
Angel Names Association provides financial assistance to families of stillborn babies for end-of-life expenses and psychological/ counseling services. Assistance is given to families who have a financial need, are uninsured or underinsured. The association also obtains funding for stillbirth research. Why do we exist?Michelle and George Mosca founded Angel Names Association (ANA) in May 2001, six months after their son, Nicholas, was stillborn. ANA is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), charitable organization dedicated to assisting families of stillborn children through programs designed to provide financial assistance for end-of-life expenses and counseling services, and funding for stillbirth research. More infants die each year from stillbirth than all other causes of infant death combined. Nearly 30,000 babies are stillborn each year in the United States alone. In 50 percent of stillbirths, no specific cause can be determined. The remaining 50 percent are caused by problems with the structure or functioning of the placenta or umbilical cord (i.e. placental abruption); maternal illnesses or conditions that affect pregnancy (i.e. preeclampsia); or birth defects in the baby caused by chromosomal or genetic abnormalities. While not all instances of stillbirth are preventable, ANA hopes that research can lead to a reduction in the incidence of stillbirth. ANA’s guiding principles are as follows: · The experience of stillbirth profoundly affects parents and their families. · The ability to provide end-of-life services for stillborn babies affects the family's ability to move through the grief process and promotes healing. · End-of-life services should be available to all families of stillborn children. · Counseling services can help families move through the grieving process. · End-of-life services enable parents to honor the life of their stillborn baby. · Research can lead to a greater understanding of the etiology of, and therefore ways to prevent, some instances of stillbirth. · Research may lead to the development of technology that may help to prevent some instances of stillbirth. ANA has no paid staff and 100 percent of all donations go directly toward funding programs to help needy families. Donations to ANA are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
National
Leukemia Research Association Inc. According to information in
the Better Business Bureau's file: The organization's stated
purpose is to raise funds to support research into the causes and cure
of leukemia and to provide patient aid to those families in need while
meeting the expenses of leukemia treatment. For fiscal year ending
12/31/99, total support and revenue was $488,250. Of this amount,
$474,555 was available for use during the fiscal year. 57.1% was spent
on program services, 5.7% was spent on management and general, and 14.9%
was spent on fundraising. Income exceeded expenses by $119,561 or 22.3%.
Fundraising expenses were equal to 14.8% of public support. This organization is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. A Child's Hope FundFight pediatric cancer,
diabetes and hunger through medical and food programs, health education
and emotional/spiritual support for children in nine countries
endangered by disease, poverty, war and natural disaster. Why do we exist? We meet specific needs
(physical, emotional and spiritual) of indigenous peoples in the
Americas, including American Indians (especially isolated Navajo) and
tribes across Central and South America. We work with Navajo who get no
other off-reservation help, along the U.S./Mexican border in spots no
others are helping, with village clinics and hospitals in El Salvador
and Guatemala, and in disaster relief in South America. Our focus is on
bringing practical aid to benefit the poor and oppressed, while also
strengthening local charities, hospitals and churches to meet current
needs and develop long- term solutions to problems. What have you accomplished? · We operate a food distribution network on the Mexican side of the US border, from our warehouse in Calexico, CA. Feeds 300-500 children weekly. · We sent over $3.1 million of disaster aid to El Nino victims in Ecuador this year. · We deliver over 150,000 pounds of food monthly to hungry Navajo and Hopi families. · We're providing over $2.1 million of quality medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in El Salvador and Guatemala, with a special emphasis on strengthening prenatal care and reducing infant deaths. ·
We offer our indigenous
partners technical and human resource assistance, including project
management strategies and accountability resources. The Center for Handicapped Children and TeenagersCFC Number 9516 2000
Van Ness Ave., Suite 307 Phone
415-771-7057 Fax 415-771-4713 The Center for Handicapped
Children and Teenagers provides medical and special education legal
consultations for physically disabled infants, children and teens.
Braces, wheelchairs, and other equipment, lab tests and therapy are paid
for as needed. No patient is ever turned away for lack of funds. 11.4%
spent on Administration and Fundraising. Founded 1981. Why do we exist? We exist to offer medical consultations and special education consultations for physically disabled infants, children and teens. We are unique in having one of the few pediatric neuromuscular consultants in the nation. Also, we never turn a patient away for lack of funds, and we spend whatever time is needed to find the proper diagnosis and treatment of pain. What have you accomplished? We have provided thousands of dollars of free medical services and paid for over $100,000 worth of specialized equipment, physical therapy and other needed services. E-mail cetmd@earthlink.net Website www.strategicfutures.com/center Child Welfare League of AmericaThe Child Welfare League of
America (CWLA), the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child
welfare organization, is committed to engaging all Americans in
promoting the well-being of children and protecting every child from
harm. Why do we exist? The Child Welfare League of
America (CWLA) has been around for a long time-nearly 80 years. It all
started when President Teddy Roosevelt held the first White House
meeting on children in 1909. The meeting was attended by a number of
child and family-serving agencies that cared about kids, especially
those who were forced to work in factories at very low wages just to
support their families. Many kids at that time were also orphaned
because of poor health conditions in the U.S. early in the century.
That's why in 1920 a group of 68 agencies got together and established
CWLA. Over the years, CWLA has championed legislation and services that
protect children from harm. Today, CWLA has grown to 1,000 agencies in
50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. CWLA and its member
agencies work on issues such as adoption, foster care, childcare,
homelessness, drug abuse, and HIV infection. But most of all, CWLA
member agencies work really hard everyday to keep children safe from
abuse and neglect and to strengthen families so that kids grow up
healthy, safe, and thriving. CWLA is unique from other national
nonprofits serving abused and neglected children in that we're a
federation of both public and nonprofit agencies and our agencies
provide direct services to kids and families across America. CWLA believes that protecting America's children is everybody's responsibility. There's a lot that can be done to prevent child abuse and neglect and to keep kids safe, but we can't do it alone. We need everyone to step-up to the plate: elected officials, government agencies, nonprofit agencies, health and mental health services, schools, religious institutions, and individuals just like you. Remember, protecting
America's kids is everybody's business. With your pledge to CWLA through
the Combined Federal Campaign, you've just made it your business too! What have you accomplished? CWLA conducts hundreds of conferences, seminars, and trainings each year. We advocate for responsive legislation at the national level and help our member agencies at the state level. We publish cutting-edge child welfare materials on a range of services. We're working to train child day care providers who will in turn train the parents of the children they serve on the basic principles of positive parenting. Over the last two years, over 10,000 providers and 100,000 parents have received free training materials on positive parenting. In 1997, CWLA launched the Protecting America's Children: It's Everybody's Business® campaign, a 10-year initiative to stop child abuse and neglect. To date, we've launched demonstration projects in two jurisdictions- Montgomery County, MD and Alameda County, CA-to develop a community-wide model for child protection. We've also revised our standards to promote a community-wide approach to child protection. This past spring we conducted national market research to get a better understanding about the public's perception of child abuse and neglect and developed a national communication strategy to increase awareness and build public will. Child kidnapping prevention
and location specialists, helping children and devastated parents
through free investigation, mediation, counseling and education
services. Crisis hotlines: 1-800-I-AM-LOST and 1-800-a-WAY-OUT. Why do we exist? According to the FBI, 2,300
children are reported missing every day, an alarming 850,000 children
missing each year who are abducted by a stranger, who have run away from
home, or are taken by a parent in the midst of a custody dispute. Child
Find actively searches for these missing children at no cost to parents.
We are unique in that we also have a Mediation and Support Services
program to prevent and resolve incidents of parental abduction through
proactive dispute resolution. We educate the public on how to keep their
children safe. What have you accomplished? Since our founding in 1980, Child Find has helped locate, and/or returned to a legal environment through mediation, over 2,900 children. The people we have helped say it best: "Both of us want to thank you for what you did for us when my daughter, Lessa, disappeared... Your agency was instrumental in helping us find her... The only reason she was found was because she was in the news, posters and prayers of everyone in the state. The reason she was so 'public' was because of Child Find. What you all did was wonderful." - Mom & Stepdad of Lessa, a 16-year old runaway, Washington. A located 5-year old boy taken into hiding by the mother - "He was filthy, had his head shaved for lice and no eyeglasses. In the last year he's had pneumonia and a broken arm. So know that you did a wonderful thing for this dear little boy by helping return him to us who will give him a loving, stable home." - Taylor's family, Colorado A Mom's joy in finding her
teenage sons taken by the father -"When I saw my sons for the first
time in eight years, the older one turned to me and cried out,
"Mom, is that you?' You can't imagine how my heart felt! Thank you
for finding my sons." - Jason & Tommy's Mom, Louisiana http://www.childfindofamerica.org/ ChildNet
Youth and Family Services
ChildNet Youth and Family
Services is comprised of five divisions: the Long Beach Youth Home,
Foster Family Network, Zinsmeyer Academy, Family Preservation Services
and Behavioral Health Services, all dealing with issues surrounding
child abuse and neglect. Why do we exist? Our mission is to provide safe homes, education and counseling to vulnerable children and families. Our program philosophy reinforces personal responsibility and emphasizes the need for a strong family unit. What have you accomplished? In 1970, our organization consisted of a small residential treatment facility for boys and girls ages 11 through 17. We served 40 youth at a time—averaging 100 served each year. Today, we have five core divisions and serve an average of 2,000 each year. The Long Beach Youth Home provides residential treatment for 40 abused, neglected and delinquent boys ages 11 to 18. The residents receive intensive treatment and 24-hour supervision for an average of six to nine months. Foster Family Network recruits families to provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for abused, neglected and/or abandoned children ages 0 to 18. FFN averages 500 children placed in 300 homes on a daily basis or 1,063 annually. Zinsmeyer Academy is a state-certified, non-public school that serves 80 boys and girls who have failed at or been expelled from local school districts' special education programs. An individualized curriculum is developed according to each student's needs. Family Preservation Services offers professional counseling, crisis response, case management, in- home parenting skills instruction and parent support groups to poverty-level families in the community with at-risk children. Behavioral Health Services provides mental health services to children who have been abused or neglected and to children from high-risk, low income families, who have a mental illness National
Childhood Cancer Foundation Cancer kills more kids than
any other disease. Research is the only hope! Please help find new cures
to Conquer Kids' Cancer! Why do we exist? The National Childhood Cancer Foundation’s mission is to find cures for childhood cancers. We are the only national organization focussed solely on funding research for this purpose. Back in the 1950’s, virtually every child with cancer died. Then a small group of doctors at seven hospitals formed a "cooperative research group" - the first one ever. They had a dream that childhood cancers could be cured, if doctors and researchers pooled their information and worked together as a team. They were right! The mission of NCCF is to
raise funds for this cooperative research group, now consisting of
thousands of medical professionals at 250 top medical institutions
across the U.S. and Canada. Progress is made by this "team
approach" much more quickly than any one doctor or institution
could do on its own. Thousands of lives have already been saved. What have you accomplished? While hardly any child survived cancer before our cooperative research began, now some types are being cured in 80% of the cases, due to this teamwork. Our research has saved the lives of thousands of infants, children, teens and young adults. Amy Dilbeck is now a junior in college. When she was 15, she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a cancer of the bone. Coincidentally, 20 years before, Amy’s mom’s best friend was also diagnosed with this disease at age 15. Back then, the girl’s leg was amputated and she died two years later, which was typical of these patients at the time. But Amy was treated with chemotherapy and limb-salvage surgery, due to advances in research. She kept her leg (with a titanium rod replacing part of the bone), and is now a healthy college student. Amy is a survivor because of progress in cooperative research. Children's
Corrective Surgery Society
Provides free plastic and
reconstructive surgery to poor children with birth defects, transforming
and setting free lives imprisoned by physical deformities. Why do we exist? Mr. Martin has traveled extensively and was deeply moved by the living conditions encountered by children with disfiguring birth defects of the face and hands. These children are shunned by society, some facing life and death struggles, with no means of getting the operations needed to give them a normal life. The purpose of Children’s Corrective Surgery Society is to help provide plastic and reconstructive surgery for these children. All operations are free of charge to the poor and needy here in the United States and also in the developing countries around the world. Everyone should care, because
birth defects can happen to any family. We see them every day, and
sometimes the families are torn apart. After corrective surgery, the
children can go to school and feel good about the way they look. We
believe all children should have an opportunity to live a life free from
the torments of disfiguring birth defects. What have you accomplished? In the last 28 years, Children’s Corrective Surgery Society has helped over 12,000 children with operations that changed their lives forever. We see several hundred new cases each year at our surgery clinics and have many pictures of children before and after their surgeries. Vivian Patricia Guevara was a
six months old baby girl when she came to one of our clinics with a
bilateral cleft lip and palate. Her parents were very supportive during
her many operations that gave her a chance to grow up to be a beautiful
young lady. She is now 24 years old, married, and has a handsome little
boy. She is studying to become a nurse so she can help people with the
same kind of birth defect. Children's
Hospital Foundation
Your gift will benefit
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, whose
mission is to provide medical care to children, regardless of a family's
ability to pay. Why do we exist? Children’s Hospital
Foundation receives private donations to benefit Children’s Hospital
& Regional Medical Center in Seattle. In 1905, Anna Clise, a
prominent Seattle woman, suffered a tragic loss: the death of her
five-year-old son to rheumatoid arthritis. She was convinced that her
child would have lived if adequate pediatric care had been available.
Two years later, she and 23 women friends established the first
children’s hospital west of the Mississippi. Since its humble
beginnings as a rented ward in a general hospital, Children’s Hospital
and Regional Medical Center has grown to become a regional medical
center with an international reputation for patient care, research and
training. Children’s is the only pediatric referral center for the
states of Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, a geographic
area covering nearly 25% of the landmass of the United States. We
provide technology and medical expertise available nowhere else in the
region. Last year, children from more than 30 other states and several
foreign countries also received care at Children’s. What have you accomplished? Since its inception, the hospital has had one focus only: the well-being of children. This purpose takes us beyond providing the highest quality inpatient and outpatient care. It leads us to search for the causes and cures of diseases; advocate for children at local, state and national levels; work to prevent abuse and injuries; collaborate with community doctors and other caregivers; and teach the next generation of pediatric specialists. Each year, Children’s sees more than 150,000 patients. Approximately 11,000 are admitted to the hospital, while the others come to our on-site and satellite outpatient clinics, day surgery facilities and the Emergency Room. In 1999, Children’s provided $25 million in unreimbursed care for patients whose families did not have the resources to cover the cost of their medical care. Children's
Hospital Medical Center Foundation
Sick children have limited
ability to communicate, but have every right to critical medical care.
Please give freely to Children's Hospital Medical Center
Foundation...the children will hear. Why do we exist? Because children are not just "little people." The physical, psychological and emotional needs of children that make them different from adults are even greater in sick children. Children need to be cared for by professionals with special training and experience. A pediatrician often must be able to diagnose a child who can't answer, "Where does it hurt?" A pediatric specialist may treat thousands of kids a year, while an adult doctor may treat only a few hundred children in a lifetime. Because children come in a wide variety of weights and sizes. When sick, they must receive nonstandard medication dosages measured with great care by experienced specialists. This is especially important when it comes to anesthesiology; most children's hospitals have a Board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist on duty 24 hours a day. This is not true in most adult or community hospitals. Because placing an intravenous tube in a baby, for instance, is not as easy as placing one in an adult. It takes the experience of a pediatric professional to accomplish this. Even with years of experience, it may take an hour with a two-pound premature infant whose blood vessels are extremely small; with an adult it may take two minutes. Because standard hospital equipment often will not do for children. Since young patients range from 24-ounce preemies to 150-pound teenagers, children's hospitals must stock medical instruments and equipment that most community hospitals do not. Because children when hospitalized need special practical and emotional support. Children's hospitals provide child life specialists, psychiatrists, social workers and teachers as crucial components of the patient-care team; most other hospitals do not offer this kind of attention. Because, as all parents know, small children need lots of care and attention; sick children require even more. At children's hospitals, there are almost three times as many nurses and twice as many physicians per patient as in most community hospitals. Because, as reported in U.S. News & World Report and on a CNN three-part series, communities without access to specialized pediatric services and emergency medical services for children have a higher mortality rate for critically ill and injured children. What have you accomplished? Children's Hospital Medical Center had nearly 9,000 inpatient admissions while its specialty outpatient clinics received more than 165,000 outpatient visits. As a regional referral center, Children's Hospital Medical Center treated patients from 56 of California's 58 counties during the same period. Children's has 141 hospital-based physicians in 31 subspecialties such as cardiology, hematology, oncology, medical genetics, surgery, anesthesiology and pediatric rehabilitation. Treating children is much more labor intensive than treating adults, so Children's Hospital employs about three times the nurses and twice as many doctors as for a similar-sized adult hospital. Approximately 1,700 employees work at Children's Hospital Medical Center. As a teaching hospital, the medical center trains 70 students over a three-year pediatric residency program. Highly regarded for producing practicing "hands-on" pediatric specialists, only 21 out of 700 applicants were accepted in 1996, making the pediatric residency program one of the most selective in the country. Most of the graduates remain in Northern California. Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) is one of the top 10 pediatric research centers nationally in terms of National Institutes of Health external awards. With more than $14 million a year in outside funding, the institute has made significant progress in such areas as diagnosing and treating pediatric cancers, sickle cell disease, AIDS/HIV, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, as well as developing prenatal diagnosis techniques for mental retardation and birth defects, and improving infant nutrition. Children's Hospital Outpatient Center opened in June 1994. This "patient-friendly" five-story facility is the only freestanding pediatric outpatient center in Northern California. New procedures and technologies allow more patients to be treated without overnight hospitalization. In response to the growing needs of nearby suburban communities, Children's Hospital works closely with community physicians to bring pediatric expertise to outlying areas through satellite offices in Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Santa Rosa and Fremont. The medical needs of children are vastly different from those of adults. Children's Hospital presence in the community assures that children of Alameda County, as well as those throughout Northern California, will continue to receive healthcare designed especially for them. We know why we're here. We're
here for the children http://www.estatepreservation.com/ Children's
Leukemia Research Association, Inc. Children's Leukemia Research
Association (516-222-1944) assists families whose members suffer from
leukemia by providing drugs and patient aid; conducts research into the
causes and a cure for leukemia. Why do we exist? To find the cause and cure for the insidious disease leukemia through scientific investigative worldwide research. We are unique in that our patient aid program … an adjunct to our research efforts never denies support to anyone diagnosed with leukemia regardless of economic or social status. As a concerned citizen we all should care that this fatal disease is eradicated from the lexicon and that children in the future will never have to suffer and they will ask, "what was leukemia - not what is leukemia?" What have you accomplished? It is presumptuous to state that we alone are in the fight to find the cure for leukemia when over the past 35 years the Association has expended tens of millions of dollars into worldwide research which has produced chemotherapy regimens which is extending the lives of those so afflicted to ten, fifteen years and in some cases indefinitely. The same patient diagnosed thirty five years ago would have succumbed six months after diagnosis. http://www.childrensleukemia.org/ Children's
Mercy Fund
Save a child's life. Help us
provide emergency food, clothing, medical supplies, equipment and care
to suffering children throughout the world. 703-519-8666. Why do we exist? The Children's Mercy Fund
provides emergency food, clothing, medical supplies, equipment and care
to suffering children throughout the world. What have you accomplished? CMF's medical camps have treated thousands of children, many without homes or parents, who would otherwise be left to suffer or perhaps die from diseases brought on by malnutrition, dehydration, and neglect. Children's
PKU Network
We provide needed services
and programs at no cost to families affected by PKU, a metabolic
disorder that leads to mental retardation and neurological damage if
untreated. Detected at birth by the "heel prick test." Why do we exist? We are currently the only
non-profit agency that provides a full range of services and programs to
families afflicted by PKU, a metabolic disorder, leading to mental
retardation if untreated. These services include: referral source,
crisis intervention funds for special foods and formula, scholarships
for PKU teens, newborn baby information packages. What have you accomplished? We estimate that 1 in 4
children diagnosed with PKU is assisted by our agency in some form. We
recently asisted a family with untreated PKU children (mentally
retarded) get back on the special diet by getting them to a clinic. We
sent out $150 worth of special formula to a child that is allergic to
every food except her special formula. Epilepsy
Foundation
As the national organization
that works for people affected by seizures, we strive to prevent,
control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and
service. Why do we exist? The Epilepsy Foundation (formerly the Epilepsy Foundation of America)® is the national organization that works to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and service and to enable people with seizure disorders to share fully in all life experiences. Our current strategic goals include broadening and strengthening of research; providing individuals and families with easy access to reliable information; assuring access to appropriate medical care for those affected by seizures; and to remove all legislative, legal, regulatory and public policy barriers to participation in all life experiences. We strive to eradicate myth, stigma and ignorance concerning epilepsy in all segments of society. Our national office is in
Landover, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. At a national level we
offer research and research training grants and fellowships to
scientists working to find the answers to epilepsy. Our research and
scientific programs and materials are reviewed by a distinguished board
of volunteer physicians, scientists and other health care professionals.
We support national public education, legal and government advocacy, a
national library, toll free information services, media campaigns, and a
broad array of educational materials. During November (Epilepsy Month)
our whole organization makes a special effort to focus national
attention on epilepsy and to raise awareness of a disorder affecting
more than two and a half million people. What have you accomplished? Our National Campaign for
Women's Health, the public awareness side of the Women and Epilepsy
Initiative, launched a major new public service announcement for
television, expanded outreach to the media and distributed educational
materials. A new first aid curriculum was developed that local Epilepsy
Foundations will be using to make schools safer for children. The
internet-based Gene Discovery Project invites people with a family
history of epilepsy to enter information into a confidential database,
to speed genetic research. We are the content expert and the primary
source for contemporary information for people with epilepsy, along with
their families and friends, caregivers and medical professionals. This
information is disseminated through our website (www.epilepsyfoundation.org)
and more traditional means of communication, such as information and
referral service (1-800-332-1000). http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/ The
Hospital for Sick Children
Dedicated exclusively to
rehabilitation, transitional care and treatment for developmental
delays, mental retardation and other complex disabilities resulting from
disease, injury and extreme prematurity. 202-832-4400; www.hfscsite.org Why do we exist? The Hospital For Sick Children (HSC) is the only facility in the Washington metropolitan area that is dedicated exclusively to providing advanced pediatric rehabilitation and transitional care for infants and adolescents from birth to 21 years of age. (We are one of only twenty facilities to offer such services.) We care for children and
young people after traumatic accidents and illnesses, and youngsters who
have complex medical conditions, sometimes with multiple diagnoses.
Children are not "small adults." That is especially true of
children with disabilities and complex medical conditions. As children
with special needs grow and develop, they need the specialized equipment
and care that a pediatric rehab facility provides. What have you accomplished? In 1883, the Hospital For
Sick Children opened its doors as the Children's Country Home. Over the
years, the Home created a lasting reputation for compassionate,
individualized care. Renamed The Hospital For Sick Children in 1968, we
also help the families of children with disabilities to cope with the
stresses often associated with often-complex medical conditions.
Caregivers are educated regarding the care that will be required when
the child is returned to the home and community. We also assist with
access to specialized resources for children with special needs. Last
summer, an apparently healthy 13-year-old very athletic, artistic and
creative youngster suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to Children's
Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a spinal ailment that has left him
permanently paralyzed from the neck down. As you may imagine, his family
was devastated. As you may also imagine, the young man not only was
going through the usual adolescent issues, but this development in his
young life made it seem as if life was over for him. Childrens Hospital
did all they could for him medically, and he was referred to our
Hospital for rehab. It's taken many months, and there are many large and
small triumphs in this young man's story, but bottom line is - he and
his family have been given HOPE at The Hospital For Sick Children. He
has had daily therapy of all kinds (physical, occupational, respiratory
and recreational) that have strengthened muscles still functioning. He
has been introduced to assistive technology that will give him some
independence and a sense of control. (Modern assistive technologies can
allow him to dial a phone, turn lights on & off, operate video
games, feed himself, etc., all from breathing tubes attached to devices
with miraculous computer chips! These are among the expensive items we
need donations to provide...) A young man who thought his life was over
now knows he can still have a life -- it's been proven to him! He
understands that he is still valued -- that his contribution to his
family, to his community and to society is valued. And, soon, he will
return home. During these long months, the family has learned how to
care for him in the home. Life has changed -– drastically -– for
this young man and his family, but it can still be a good life. We
return children home to the best of their abilities -- there ARE no
"throwaway" kids. Jimmy
Fund/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Since 1947, providing
critical funds for breakthrough cancer research/treatment at
Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute -- recognized by NCI as
"one of the premier cancer centers in the world." Why do we exist? Since 1948, the Jimmy Fund has supported cancer care and cutting edge research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, described by the National Cancer Institute as "one of the world's premier cancer centers". Founded in 1947 by Dr. Sidney Farber, the Institute is renowned for its unique blending of basic and clinical research, and for using its discoveries to improve treatments for adults and children with cancer. Today, Dana-Farber belongs to a network of NCI designated comprehensive cancer centers and is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Also, it is one of 12 federally designed Centers for Aids Research in the United States. The Jimmy Fund, widely regarded as "New England's favorite charity," is the official charity of the Boston Red Sox, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Variety Club of New England and the Pan Massachusetts Challenge. The Jimmy Fund is fortunate to have earned the support of thousands of individuals, organizations, corporations and members of the media throughout the New England and beyond. This vast network of volunteers and sponsors enables the Jimmy Fund to keep operating expenses to a minimum and, consequently, to ensure that nearly $.90 of every dollar contributed goes directly to support cancer research and treatment initiatives at the Institute. What have you accomplished? In 1947, Dr. Sidney Farber "lit a candle in the darkness." Over the past 50 years, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has pioneered such strategies as the use of multiple drugs or combination chemotherapy to fight cancer, the development of autologous ("self") bone marrow transplantation, and the creation of a new generation of anti-cancer drugs, called immunotoxins, which kill cancer cells, yet leave normal cells unscathed. Reseach into new ways to fight tumor growth: the cutting off of the blood supply to tumors (anti-angiogenesis); the exploration of using a person's own DNA to develop vaccines for cancer; as well as the development of methods to make cancer cells visible to the person's own immune system are currently some of the Institute's most exciting projects. It was recently reported that for the first time since national record-keeping was instituted in the 1930s, the cancer death rate in the United States fell by nearly three percent between 1991 and 1995. The cure rate for childhood leukemia is approaching 80% and two out of three children treated at DFCI's Jimmy Fund Clinic walk away disease-free. There is still much to be
done. Currently, more than 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with
cancer each year. More than half-a-million people in the U.S. will die
of the disease each year. Discovery is the key and with Dana-Farber's
unique combination of the best, basic scientists at work with the
country's top clinicians, we believe that we are coming closer to a day
without cancer. Juvenile
Diabetes Foundation (JDF) The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's mission is to find a cure for diabetes. More than 84 cents of every dollar is contributed to research worldwide. JDF's mission is to fund research to help find a cure for diabetes and its complications. JDF gives 84 cents of every dollar to research. The local office provides support services for those battling diabetes such as support groups, a lending library, and the Bag of Hope for newly diagnosed patients. What have you accomplished? We help people everyday learn
to live with their diagnosis and how society treats them. Most recently
we helped a 7 year old child who was kicked out of camp because he had
diabetes. we worked with the counselors to educate them about diabetes
so that he could return. Mary HouseVolunteer organization that
works directly with homeless families and pregnant mothers. Operating 10
sites for over 34 families, providing shelter, transitional and
long-term supportive housing, food, clothing and furniture. Why do we exist? Mary House provides housing
and other services related to the social and economic needs of homeless
families, distressed women, and children. Mary House works predominantly
with the low-income Latino population of Washington, D.C. We have no
salaried staff; each of the five full-time volunteer staff, including
co-founders Bill and Sharon Murphy who live at Mary House with their
four children, receive room, board, health insurance, and a nominal
stipend per month. What have you accomplished? Mary House has sheltered more
than 250 families and has cared for hundreds more in its 18 year
history. In one case, a family came to Mary House with six children from
a one room basement apartment in Mt. Pleasant. The family paid
$450.00/month to share a space with rats, no ventilation, and inadequate
cooking facilities that included a hot plate for preparing meals. They
moved into transitional housing, developed a month-to-month budget
during the first year, and expanded to a twelve month budget plan during
the second year. The mother began English classes and the father studied
for the GED. After living in transitional housing, the family was moved
into a larger apartment and the long term supportive housing program.
The mother studied to become a licensed day care provider and father
passed the GED. Currently, the family is applying to low-income home
ownership programs in the city. Mary's
Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc. Mary's Center provides
reproductive, perinatal and pediatric health services in a holistic,
family-oriented and cost-effective manner. Typical client families are
hard-working, but have low incomes and no insurance. www.maryscenter.org Why do we exist? Mary's Center I a prenatal and pediatric health clinic dedicated to increasing access to comprehensive bilingual care to low-income, uninsured pregnant women and their children residing in the District of Columbia. We offer home visits, 24-hour midwifery care, extensive social services and operates a teen program. What have you accomplished? In a city whose infant
mortality rate is 2.5 times the national average, Mary's Center
demonstrate how access to care, coupled with proper attitudes towards
culture and family, result in healthy mothers and children. Last year,
1,323 prenatal patients were seen; 264 were new prenatal patients. There
were also a total of 200 deliveries. Masonic Foundation for ChildrenCFC Number 1504 Address PO
Box 28000 Phone 202-331-1933 Fax 202-331-1972 We have the most effective
addiction-prevention program available nationally with many hundreds of
thousands of children saved. With your help, we'll reach many more. Why do we exist? The mission of the Masonic Foundation for Children is to establish the "Masonic Model" Student Assistance Training (MMSAT) program in schools, which will help the youth of this country lead productive, useful, and healthy lives. Most experts agree that a
successful strategy for dealing with drug abuse contains four approaches
- awareness, treatment, enforcement, and prevention. The Foundation
believes prevention is the most critical of the four. Prevention is,
hands down, the most important component of a successful solution.
Awareness efforts inform and educate the public. Treatment programs
provide assistance to those already addicted. Enforcement activities
curb the supplies and penalize the suppliers. These three, however, only
treat the results of substance abuse problems. Only prevention stops use
and abuse before it can get started. It interrupts the addictive cycle
which may have gone on for generations in a family. Another important
plus -- prevention programs can be implemented for a fraction of the
cost of treatment, enforcement or publicity programs. What have you accomplished? Experience with schools with "Masonic Model" trained teams in place shows that most children who are identified as potentially at risk, or who are in the early stages of addiction, can be successfully steered away from the addictive cycle. The prevention approach works. Success stories include the high school student "Joan" who had become addicted to narcotics in reaction to living in a home where her mother had been diagnosed with cancer. A fellow student referred Joan to her school's Core Team which successfully intervened and obtained the appropriate help Joan needed which shortly ended her dependency on drugs. Another success story is
about "Tom" who was a delinquent high school student who
actually decided to go to a different high school, because his school
"cared too much" (they had an established MMSAT Core Team).
After two more years at the other high school where Tom continued with
his downward spiral, he decided to return to his original school and
with the help of his school's Core Team he is now free of addiction. He
became a straight "A" student in spite of having to double up
on his courses (to make up for lost time) and he graduated last June. Pediatric AIDS FoundationDaily 1,800 children worldwide are newly infected with HIV. The Pediatric AIDS Foundation creates hope for children with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases through research, education and implementation programs. www.pedaids.org To identify, fund and conduct critical pediatric AIDS research that will lead to the prevention and treatment of HIV infection in infants and children. Our goals are to find ways to prevent transmission from an infected mother to her newborn, to prolong and improve the lives of children with HIV, and to eliminate HIV in infected children. The Foundation takes a leadership role in establishing a national pediatric AIDS research agenda, as well as promoting education, awareness and compassion about HIV/AIDS in children. What have you accomplished? The Pediatric AIDS Foundation funds key researchers to develop ways to block HIV transmission from a pregnant woman to her newborn and to better understand how the disease affects children. We have funded work in gene therapy and immune reconstitution and pediatric vaccines. Our Public Service
Announcement campaign urges all pregnant women to be tested for HIV so
they may be treated to prevent passing on the disease to their newborn
babies. The Foundation has made the needs of children with HIV/AIDS part
of the national agenda: as a result of our policy work federal money is
now earmarked for pediatric AIDS research and all new drugs applicable
to children must be tested for use in children. RAINN
(the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) The only national hotline for
rape and sexual assault victims. Provides free confidential counseling
24 hours/day through 865 local affiliates. 345,000 counseled to date.
800-656-4673; www.rainn.org Why do we exist? RAINN operates the country's only national rape hotline (800.656.HOPE), a network of 865 rape crisis centers across the country. The hotline is free, confidential, and operates 24 hours a day. Shame and silence are most often associated with victims of sexual assault and abuse. It often takes months or even years for victims to acknowledge what happened and reach out for help. When they do, they need to talk to someone right away, and the RAINN hotline provides that immediate access to counseling services. What's more, a significant percentage of victims are young children who are being sexually abused by someone in their own home. These children fear the continued abuse, but they also fear retribution from the abuser if they discover the child is seeking help. With the RAINN hotline, the caller is confident that the number will not appear on their family phone bill. This removes a significant barrier from children and teens making that first call for help, and puts them a step closer to escaping the abuse.
Before RAINN, there was no national hotline, no way for many people to access help. There was also little publicity about sexual assault, since the television networks did not have a source to refer viewers. RAINN changed that by getting the hotline in place and gaining the support and confidence of the networks in publicizing our service. RAINN has provided counseling to 345,000 victims since its founding in 1994. We now provide free, confidential services to more than 6,000 victims a month and 75,000 victims a year. RAINN has developed unique partnerships to reach those in need of services. For example, we worked closely with Fox Television to include our hotline number right in the script of Beverly Hills 90210. The night the show aired, we received calls from more than 4,000 women and men in just three hours. One of them, a 46 year-old woman, later wrote to us: "I was so scared, had so many fears about taking that step. I dialed and reached someone warm and understanding who talked with me. Through RAINN I disclosed my rape and they were and are with me 100%. Thank God I watched that [TV] show or I wouldn't be here today . . . I feel I am gaining some of the power back that was taken away from me. I see hope, a word worth living. Thank you, RAINN, for making it possible for me to leave that place where you can't remember, but can't forget." Yet another victim-an 18-year old college student, writes: "The RAINN counselor I spoke to let me talk. She didn't judge me. She didn't interrupt me. She didn't try to solve my problems. She instead gave me the support and caring that I needed so desperately . . . She stayed on the line with me for as long as I needed her. Most importantly, she encouraged me to talk, to unlock the silence and let my voice be heard for the first time in 4 years. I consider this call to RAINN to be one of the key turning points in my recovery. For the first time, I was able to say out loud what had happened. I was able to express the pain I felt." There are many more victims
--both men and women alike, who need help but don't know where to turn.
The Department of Justice estimates that there are more than 300,000
rapes annually, and that 17.7 million women and 2.78 million men have
been the victim of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. That's why
our continued outreach work is so very important. St.
Ann's Infant and Maternity Home
Providing residential
emergency placement care for abused, abandoned or neglected infants and
children, and for pregnant and parenting adolescents, since 1860. Also
has an infant/children's day care program. www.saint-anns.com Why do we exist? St. Ann's exists because
there is a need for our services and has been since 1860 when we began
working with abused/abandoned/neglected babies and young pregnant and
parenting teens. We are unique because we are the only facility of our
kind in this area and we have expanded to meet the needs of those we
serve. If you read the newspapers you know haw great the need is to help
the little ones being abused both physically and sexually before they
get on the front page of the paper describing vividly their torture and
pain before they died. Also teens today are many times an unwanted group
to deal with and we see them as young people with great potential who
need a little help and support to turn their lives around. What have you accomplished? With the children we do a total assessments of their needs and provide developmental, speech, physical, and psychological therapy to help their problems and delays. With the young moms we have our own accredited high school and require them to stay drug free. These young women hail from many areas including shelter or simply the streets but they do a great job of trying to bring about changes in their life. St. Ann's also offers low cost transitional housing through our program Faith House. It is has been up and running for about 2 years and provides low cost apartment for young women who have a child. They work and go to school while saving money and learning how to be responsible and independent. There are many who have found how good, intelligent and capable they are here at St. Ann's. SladeChild
Foundation
100% of every dollar donated
to SladeChild Foundation provides desperately needy children worldwide
with food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care. All
administrative expenses paid by Board of Trustees. www.sladechild.org Why do we exist? The SladeChild Foundation
exists to provide the five essentials of life -- food, clothing,
shelter, education and medical care -- to destitute children worldwide,
including the United States. What have you accomplished? Over the last 15 years we have provided a continuous source of support to thousands of children. SladeChild Foundation grants to children relief projects have provided breakfasts, lunches, dinners, vitamins, vaccinations, hospital care eye exams, teeth exams, hearing exams, school books, school uniforms, pencils, paper, pens, pants, shirts, skirts, shoes, underwear, braces, crutches, play equipment fresh fruit in the desert, water wells, school buildings, teachers. We have brought decent living conditions to thousands of the most destitute children in the world. The Sunshine Kids FoundationProvides national group
activities, free of charge, for children with cancer. Activities promote
a positive attitude which helps children with their fight against
cancer. 713-524-1264; www.sunshinekids.org Why do we exist? There are approximately
40,000 children in hospitals across the country who are undergoing
painful, isolating treatment for cancer--children who have been robbed
of their childhood. Our mission is to give these children a chance to
forget about hospitals for a while and just have fun.
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