Charity that Helps Families of Sick Children Awarded £100k

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity could help families reach £1m in unclaimed benefits.

A charity set up to help ill or disabled children has been awarded just over £104,000 to assist families struggling to cope with the financial pressures of caring for their child.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the new name for Yorkhill Children’s Charity, has been awarded the cash from the STV Appeal.

It will now be able to help 500 vulnerable families with children at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow in partnership with NHSGGC.

The charity says parents and carers are often unaware of the financial and practical support available to them and its new Family Support Project aims to claim over £1 million every year in previously unclaimed benefits for qualifying families.

As well as offering financial help, the project will provide practical and emotional support to families, ensuring that their long-term needs outside the hospital environment are valued and supported to prevent poverty cycles recurring.

It is hoped that over 50 referral services and agencies will engage with the programme to identify those families at greatest risk.

Shona Cardle, chief executive at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are delighted to be working with the STV Children’s Appeal and NHSGGC on such an important project.

“Having a child in hospital can be one of the most frightening and stressful experiences for any parent or carer, without having the added worry of how you will cope financially.

“This project will provide support, reassurance and comfort to many of Scotland’s most vulnerable families, listening to their needs and helping them to find a suitable path forward.

“Children from throughout Scotland are treated at The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and it is fundamental to both Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and the STV Children’s Appeal that these children and their families receive the best care and support available.”

John MacKay, presenter of STV News at Six and an ambassador of the STV Children’s Appeal, presented Shona with a cheque and visited the hospital (pictured). He said: "The Family Support Project is a truly worthwhile initiative and I'm thrilled to present the cheque on behalf of the STV Children's Appeal.

“The visit was an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to meet some of the children and families who will benefit from the project."

Sir Tom Hunter, whose Hunter Foundation launched the appeal in 2011 and helps meet its overheads, ensuring 100% of donations are spent on the children who need it most, added: "Through the appeal our singular ambition is to deliver sustainable solutions to end child poverty.

“It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty through no fault of their own.

“Thanks to this project and many more, the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.

"This is about communities coming together and with a hand up, not a hand out, from the STV Children’s Appeal, helping themselves deliver sustainable solutions to end child poverty."

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Source: http://thirdforcenews.org.uk/

4-Year-Old Donates Long Locks to Wig Charity for Kids

BUTTE — Any kid who loves haircuts may be a cut above his peers.

Nolan Drake of Butte, a Lego-loving 4-year-old, gladly let his golden locks grow long for an entire year then donated the hair to charity.

He wants his dearly departed hair to be made into natural wigs, specifically for kids. Christina Drake, his mother, let him make the call — despite his previous hatred for haircuts.

"He made the decision about a year to a year and a half ago that he was going to grow out his (already long) hair and donate it to children who don't have hair due to illness or disease," said Christina.

On Thursday, exactly one year to the day since his last haircut, she took her precocious son into Beauty on Broadway.

Then cosmologist Kyle Marshall started snipping Nolan's precious locks.

"I have cut a little girl's hair for charity, but not a boy's before," said Marshall. "He was very good. He was probably one the best toddlers I've had. I'm super proud of him."

Marshall said her shop usually uses Locks for Love, a charity that converts donated natural hair to wigs.

But after much research, Christina selected Children With Hair Loss, a nonprofit based in South Rockwood, Mich. The charity takes donations — monetary and follicle — to make human hair replacement wigs for children with medically related hair loss.

"I read reviews and audits, and from what I read, they've got only one paid employee," she said of Children With Hair Loss. "It's totally nonprofit, and they don't charge for the wigs, so I figured that was the one."

Plus, the charity only required a minimum of eight inches of hair. Nolan ended up with about 10 inches, reaching nearly to his elbows. Some organizations require 12 inches.

"It was pretty long," Christina said "He was totally satisfied. He couldn't wait to show all his friends his boy haircut."

Jennifer Smith, Nolan's Silver Bow Montessori teacher, used his charity experiment as a teachable moment for her early education class of 25. Nolan is one of the oldest students among the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds.

"Some of the older kids understood enough," said Smith. "You don't need to give them a lot of information. I explained to them about sick children taking medication, losing their hair and needing wigs."

Smith took before-and-after photos of Nolan to share with the students.

"Montessori is very experiential and concrete, and that's real hair," Smith added. "We wanted to have some fun with it. As soon as Nolan walked in Friday wearing his stocking cap, he said, 'I did it.'"

In keeping with the school's mission, Nolan was a big hit with his school mates.

"We're all very close to each other, and some of the older students know, too, and we were excited to see him," Smith said.

Montessori, a private school for kids ages 3 to sixth grade, stresses hands-on learning while nurturing "independent children engaged in joyful learning" in its mission statement.

"He's a great boy — a very kind, empathetic child," Smith said. "It's been a neat thing to share in the classroom."

Nolan will turn 5 on March 26, then he moves up to the big leagues next year: kindergarten at Margaret Leary Elementary. His willingness to part with his hair impressed everyone.

"That's a pretty significant decision for such a young child to make," added Christina. "He's got a heart of gold, that kid. Now he wants to do it again."

Little brother Logan, a redhead, wants to follow big brother's lead.

"Logan never has said anything negative about his brother's hair," Christina said. "But yesterday he told me, 'I want to grow my hair out.'"

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Source: http://billingsgazette.com/

Charity Cycle Challenge Helps Children in Africa

A CHILDREN’S charity in the North-East has raised more than £21,000 for a life-changing education project in Africa.

The COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas) Maasai Cycle Challenge saw a team of nine battle torrential rain, blistering heat and unforgiving Kenyan terrain as they rode 150km in four days.

Double Olympic gold medal winner Daley Thompson and TV and radio presenter Colin Murray saddled up alongside the charity’s co-founder Steve Cram, former Olympic athlete Allison Curbishley and six others.

Daley Thompson said: “Having come on the cycle trip and seen exactly where the money goes, I am full of admiration for the team at COCO because the kids seem so happy and full of hope.”

During their cycle ride, the nine COCO cyclists climbed a total height of 4,000m in the African heat, and were guided by members of the Maasai community, who offered an insight into their culture and way of life.

While in Kenya, the cyclists visited Maasai Academy, where Cram and Thompson opened a new nursery classroom, a project that has been funded by COCO.

They met some of the young people who have benefited from the charity’s work in the area and played an impromptu game of football.

Steve Cram said: “I am so proud of the whole group who had to contend with challenging conditions on top of the testing terrain, but they never faltered in their determination and enthusiasm to complete the ride.

“I know that the morning spent at Maasai Academy provided that extra injection of energy required, as they saw first hand how much COCO has been able to achieve in that community due to their efforts.

“Winning the Maasai versus COCO football match was a bonus.”

COCO was co-founded by Steve Cram, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, and British Army Major Jim Panton in 2000.

The charity works with communities in remote regions of the developing world to alleviate the poverty that prevents children’s education, and has raised and invested over £3.5 million since its foundation.

The charity has now supported 50 transformational projects in 16 countries, positively impacting the lives of more than 150,000 people.

Chief executive Lucy Philipson said: “At COCO, we’re proud of the transparency of our work and it is really valuable to be able to demonstrate so clearly how donations are used to make a direct and positive impact on young lives.”

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Source: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/

Snowmen Sales Boost Children’s Charity

A Moray charity has received a late Christmas present in the form of a bumper donation amassed by Buckie High School over the festive period.

Sixth year pupils at the school raised nearly £3,500 for the Logan’s Fund children’s cancer group by crafting and selling unique “snowmannie” figurines.

The creative youngsters handmade the decorations from little more than socks, buttons, rice and ribbons.

Pupils Erin McKenzie, Megan McGowan, Isla McRae, Emmy-Jo Munro, Niamh Paterson and Taylor Patient were mentored by teacher Sarah Matthews during the project.

They marketed the trinkets during community events throughout December, and at various Christmas fairs.

And they handed over the generous pledge to a special visitor to the school this week.

Elgin seven-year-old Ehryn Andrews was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma tumour in her pelvis on her sixth birthday in October 2014.

After enduring months of intense treatment and suffering heart failure last year, the brave youngster is now in remission from cancer.

Logan’s Fund has paid for her family to enjoy a holiday abroad this summer, and the charity said Ehryn was “thrilled” to act as its ambassador in collecting the donation.

Pupil Taylor Patient said: “We felt Logan’s Fund was the perfect organisation to donate our profits to as we were moved by the kindness of this charity and how the money we raised would be used to help suffering families.

“We were completely astounded and delighted by our finishing profit of £3446.00.”

Miss Paterson added: “Meeting Ehryn and knowing she would benefit from the money we raised in our enterprise project was really great.

“She is a lovely brave wee girl and is very deserving of the opportunities Logan’s Fund grant.”

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Source: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/

More Volunteers Needed for Children's Charity CHICKS

THIS year children's charity CHICKS is hoping to help 1,200 youngsters, but to reach that goal it will need more than 500 volunteers.

The charity hosts respite breaks for disadvantaged children at its centre in Tywardreath as well as in Devon and Derbyshire and has just welcomed its first group of children for this year at half term.

The young people are given a week-long break in the countryside and take part in all sorts of activities they otherwise might not get a chance to experience away from the concerns of their everyday lives.

They come from all over the country and last year this included 150 children from Cornwall, including a nine-year-old carer whose father has cancer and whose mother has a long-term medical condition.

Other children might also be young carers or they could be victims of abuse or bullying or poverty – what they have in common is that without CHICKS they would not have a holiday during the year.

Every CHICKS break is led by three fully-trained leaders along with up to six adult volunteers.

Anyone over 18 can volunteer and no experience is necessary, just the energy and enthusiasm to make sure all the children have the best time possible.

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Source: http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/

The Voice Star to Perform for Children’s Charity

THE WORTHING star of BBC’s The Voice will be going back where it all started to perform for a children’s cancer charity.

Deano Boroczky, 27, will be performing at the Smugglers Return on Hamm Road, where he was originally picked up by talent scouts from the show.

It will be his first gig since performing on The Voice.

Deano, who is currently being mentored on the show by Paloma Faith, will be playing songs from people who have inspired him musically throughout his life, and will have his friend Neil on acoustic guitar along with a sax player for a couple of songs.

He said: “I’ve decided to put on a little gig at the Smugglers to say thanks to people in Worthing who have been really supportive so far. I am really looking forward to having a great evening.

“It feels fitting to have it at the Smugglers as that’s where I was scouted for The Voice. Angie and Andy the pub runners at the Smugglers have always been really welcoming and supportive.”

Around 12 acts will perform in total, with all proceeds going towards the Little Heroes Cancer Trust, which provides toys, distractions and smiles to children and the families of children who are living with cancer.

The evening starts at 8:30pm on Saturday February 20 with Deano performing from 9pm.

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Source: http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/

Variety, the Children’s Charity Helping to Get Kids in the Dentist Chair

WINNIPEG — We all know that going to the dentist is important.

But here in Winnipeg, there are hundreds of kids who are lacking the dental care they need.

A joint program started by Variety, the Children’s Charity and the College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba are doing their best to change all that.


“It was the brainchild of the division of pediatric dentistry here and Variety to serve one of our most vulnerable populations,”says Dr. Tony Iacopino, Dean, College of Dentistry. “Many of the children and their families are in economically disadvantaged circumstances that makes it difficult for them to access dental care.”

Almost every Friday on the Bannatyne campus, the college welcomes kids to its dental outreach program. This year there are fourteen schools participating but in previous years there’s been as many as nineteen, all of them from the inner city.

Each year anywhere from twelve to nineteen schools participate in the program.

This year more than 4000 kids were screened from kindergarten to grade six, with 900 of them needing immediate treatment.

“Some problems are active infections and severe pain that need to be treated right away.” said Iacopino. “Other types of things can wait a little bit longer and we work those children into the program as we have availability. But everyone that requires some form of treatment gets treated.”

Some of the students who come in to the clinic have really had no education about dental hygiene up to the point they see their first dentist.

“I mean we even see kids that you ask them do you own a toothbrush and you’ll see that some kids don’t even own a toothbrush,” said Omar Mohammed, Pediatric Dental Resident. “And if you don’t own a toothbrush what are you brushing your teeth with?”

Children are missing school due to the pain. They aren’t sleeping, and they just can’t concentrate on their school work.

“Those are all tremendous problems across the globe right now and particularly in Manitoba,” said the Dean. “We think we’ve been able to make a really big difference for our community.”

Through the years Variety has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the program, with the benefit more far reaching that just the students.

“I think what’s really special is that is provides treatment to kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive that care because they might not have dental insurance,” said Dr. Mohammed. “At the same time it also allows dental students that clinical experience.”

It’s not just the kids who are leaving the clinic all smiles. Parents are also thankful for what the program provides.

“It’s a big relief that the school can bring them to the dentist and it’s just easier,” said parent April Stacey. “I know a lot of parents and we are all grateful that Variety has selected our school for it and my daughter was able to come to the program.”

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Source: http://globalnews.ca/

Children's Charity Offers Training to Recruit Volunteer Mentors

STOURPORT-based children’s charity, Mentor Link, which provides long-term one-to-one social and emotional support to vulnerable and distressed children is seeking volunteers.

The charity professionally recruits and trains volunteer mentors to listen to and support children and young people facing difficulties such as illness, low self-esteem, bereavement, family breakdown, self-harm and relationships.

Its aim is to create a more positive attitude towards themselves and their learning. The well-being of these young people forms the focus of the charity’s work.

With over 13 years’ experience of providing this service to schools and a good track record of success, the charity is recruiting more volunteer mentors. No qualifications are necessary, you just need to be a good listener and role model with an interest in supporting young people.

Applicants are required to have Enhanced DBS (disclosure and barring service) clearance and be able to commit to giving an hour a week for a minimum of six months. Training is provided free of charge and travel expenses are paid.
   
Mentor Link offers a prompt, professional, long-term and dedicated service to children and also welcomes enquiries from parents, schools, health professionals or community groups.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor, or would like to know more about the service the charity provides, please contact Claire Quinn on 07973 572768, Claire.Quinn@mentorlink.org.uk or have a look at our website www.mentorlink.org.uk

Children's Charity Asks for Unwanted Christmas Presents

Children's charity Barnardo’s is inviting people to donate unwanted and duplicate gifts so that they can be re-sold to support its work in the year ahead.

Recycling some of your Christmas presents will help to support the UK’s most vulnerable children.

The appeal comes after a new poll for the charity found that musical socks are now considered to be one of the worst presents for adults in the South West to receive.

Barnardo’s regional director, Hugh Sherriffe, said: “Many people have probably received a festive gift this year that was unsuitable.

“Instead of hiding them in the wardrobe, take them to one of our stores where they can be sold to help make a difference to the lives of thousands of vulnerable children and young people in the UK.

“Our stores are very grateful for all of the donations they receive.

"What better way to start the New Year than knowing that your unsuitable gifts will help disadvantaged children and families who can struggle over the Christmas period.”

The poll of South West adults found that 50 per cent believed musical socks were one of the worst gifts to receive at Christmas, followed by 48 per cent for a selfie-stick.

Just under a third, 31 per cent, voted for a Christmas jumper or bathroom scales and 27 per cent for animal slippers.

Barnardo’s has more than 640 retail stores in the UK which sell donated items including clothes, books, toys, games, DVDs, CDs, accessories and bric-a-brac.

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Source: http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/

450,000 Children Out of School in Turkey

On September 28th, schools across Turkey opened their doors for the start of the academic year.

But nearly 450,000 school-aged Syrian children did not step into a classroom that day. Instead of sitting behind a desk, in a safe learning environment, you see many of those kids in cities across Turkey selling tissues on the roadside, running errands in stores or climbing into dumpsters to collect recyclable materials.

In Hatay, where our field office is located, you might see some in the fields picking the cotton harvest at this time of year.

Every child deprived of an education is at risk of becoming part of a 'lost generation'.

Even in the early days of the crisis that now engulfs Syria, many ordinary Syrians who fled to Turkey for safety recognised the need to address the lack of education facilities for their children. Ordinary men and women took it upon themselves to rent space, volunteer their time to teach, find desks, chairs and whiteboards all in an effort to ensure their children would not grow up illiterate, and instead have a future for their own families.

The Government of Turkey took a courageous step in 2014 and passed legislation that would bring

these informally operating schools under the coordination of the Ministry of National Education. Currently 18,122 Syrian children are enrolled in 69 Temporary Education Centres (TECs) across Hatay province alone. The government of Turkey has shown unprecedented levels of generosity and hospitality – spending up to 8 billion dollars – on refugees from Syria and Iraq. Yet, this is only a small fraction of the overall need. Globally, education and child protection are the two sectors that receive the least amount of aid funding. Partners such as UNICEF and international NGOs like Save the Children are working to help bridge that gap.

But it is not as simple as throwing money at the problem. Meaningful understanding of the actual needs of refugee and host communities coupled with projects designed to address these needs are required. To this effect, we carried out a needs assessment of every Temporary Education Centre in Hatay and revealed a thorough yet stark picture of the varying challenges – from transport to textbooks – faced when trying to provide education to Syrian children.

As the crisis has deepened, the needs of refugees has evolved. It is no longer a matter of providing basic humanitarian relief but enabling refugees to live with dignity and, most importantly, hope for a better future.

I have visited several Temporary Education Centres in Hatay as part of our work. At one TEC, a soft spoken head teacher from Aleppo thanked me for the assistance Save the Children in Turkey was providing. This man is so dedicated that he works six days a week, up to 12 hours a day and has gotten into personal debt so that running water and electricity of the TEC would not be cut off. I could not help myself, I listened to his words of gratitude and told him: "No; thank you. "Without you, these children would not have been getting an education for the past three years. I am sorry the international community has been so slow to come to your aid."

"Better late than never," he replied.

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Source: http://savethechildren.typepad.com/

Holiday Giving: 7 Children's Charities You Should Know About

This story originally appeared on LearnVest. 

Are you generous with your time and money? If you’re like most Americans, you probably are.

According to a recent report by the Charities Aid Foundation, 61% of Americans said they volunteered or made financial contributions to a charity organization in 2014. Overall, that made the U.S. the second most generous nation in a global survey involving 145 countries (Myanmar came out on top with 66% of charitable residents).

But with the holiday season in full swing, it can be tough to find the time to not only identify new charities but to actually organize your giving. To help you out, we’ve pulled together a list of organizations that support kids both across the ocean and in your own backyard. And some are even creating innovative ways for you to assist in their mission.

Didn’t think your foodie Instagrams could make a difference? Want your holiday shopping to do good? These groups make it possible to incorporate charitable giving at whatever level that works for you.

#1 Help At-Risk South African Kids Get Healthy Meals

Charity: The Lunchbox Fund

The Mission: To teach South African schoolchildren about healthy eating by providing a rotating menu of nutritionally fortified foods. The organization’s secondary focus is female empowerment, and it employs previously out-of-work women from local communities to help prepare and serve the food.

The Impact: Simply put, when kids are well fed, they have more energy and are better able to focus on other things—including their schoolwork—enabling them to create new lives for themselves.

“We’ve seen children who rely on The Lunchbox Fund as their sole food supply experience major academic success,” says Sophie Barnett, the organization’s digital coordinator. “A recent program graduate completed high school with honors and matriculated to college on a full engineering scholarship.”

The Lunchbox Fund launched 10 years ago, and in 2015 it provided 2.6 million meals to children in early childhood development centers, primary and secondary schools, and after-school homework assistance programs in townships and rural areas across South Africa.

“The program now feeds 13,000 children per day,” Barnett says. “Our current goal is to reach 50,000 children by 2017.”

How You Can Help: Because meals are only 25¢ each with 100% of proceeds going toward the mission, each of your donated dollars provides four meals for a child in need.

You can donate money through their site, and use social media to support the cause. Using the organization’s app, Feedie, you can take a picture of your meal at a participating restaurant across the U.S., Europe, Asia and South Africa, and the eatery will donate a meal to a child via The Lunchbox Fund.

Now that’s a “foodstagram” you can feel good about.

#2 Help Find a Cure for Childhood Cancer

Charity: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

The Mission: To raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research and empower people—especially kids—to make a difference.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation began in 2000 when 4-year-old Alex Scott, a cancer patient, wanted to create a lemonade stand to raise money and help find a cure for all children with cancer. Although Scott died in 2004, the project grew and continues to help children nationwide today.

The Impact: The organization raises money to help fuel cancer research and has given more than 500 research grants to over 100 organizations. One child who benefited directly from the organization is Zach Witt, who had an aggressive type of cancer that didn’t respond to chemotherapy. After receiving treatment partially funded by an ALSF research project, doctors found the medication that helped Zach become cancer-free.

“Within two days, he was up and running around the hospital,” says Elizabeth Romaine, the foundation’s director of communications and PR. “In the last several months, he’s been able to return to a normal childhood—he’s even playing baseball.”

How You Can Help: The idea is simple: Support in any way you can.

You can follow Alex’s example and host a lemonade stand to raise money. Or, If you’re athletically inclined, you can join Alex’s Million Mile, where people walk, run or bike to help reach the goal of a million miles traveled in the name of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

Want to think—and raise money—outside the box? Romaine encourages it.

“There’s an attorney in New Jersey who calls himself ‘The Caveman’—for one full calendar year, he won’t shave or cut his hair,” she says. “He started in January, and so far he’s raised just under $5,000. He’s creating a visual reason to have the conversation.”

#3 Help Kids, Parents and Teachers Use Technology to Succeed in School

Charity: PowerMyLearning

The Mission: In partnering with schools, districts and after-school hubs, the goal is to leverage tech and provide training to improve interactions between students, teachers and parents, and increase engagement and learning. PowerMyLearning also enables students in grades K–12 to thrive by curating special websites, videos and games for academic exploration.

The Impact: One aspect of the nonprofit’s outreach, a free online platform called PowerMyLearning Connect, helps drive personalized instruction and self-directed learning, complete with fun games and activities.

“We now have registered users from more than 40% of U.S. public schools, a figure that’s tripled over the past two years,” says C.E.O. and cofounder Elisabeth Stock. “Teachers and parents continue to be the individuals who have the greatest impact on a child’s academic success, and using technology to make them more effective is our secret sauce.”

How You Can Help: Financial gifts are always welcome, but you can also donate new or used laptops to the program.

“We launched our #BelieveInFamilies campaign so more low-income families can support learning at home using the transformative power of technology,” Stock explains. “We’ve already served more than 60,000 families in high-poverty communities, and we hope this campaign will help us bring in enough financial support to reach another 5,000 families in 2016.”

#4 Give New Shoes to Kids Who Need Them

Charity: Shoes That Fit

The Mission: To help children attend school in comfort—and with dignity—by giving them shoes to wear.

The Impact: Since its humble beginnings in 1992, the organization has reached 1.4 million children around the country.

“Last year we helped more than 90,000 kids in more than 2,000 schools and 46 states and D.C.—all with one office in California and about six staff members,” says Lee Kane, the charity’s program manager.

How You Can Help: Shoes That Fit recently kicked off its holiday campaign to provide 20,000 pairs of new athletic shoes to schoolchildren this winter. Through December 24, supporters can purchase a $10 giving card from their local Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack, which will go toward buying a pair of sneakers for a child in need.

And if you want to go beyond a cash donation, Kane notes that supporters can replicate the program in their own community on a smaller scale. “We help match groups with nearby schools, and they go out and buy shoes directly for those students,” Kane says.

#5 Feed America’s Hungry Children

Charity: No Kid Hungry

The Mission: To end childhood hunger across the country by making sure all kids get nutritious food.

The Impact: One in five children in the U.S. struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry initiative, which began in 2006, is tackling that problem in many ways, like connecting kids with programs that provide breakfast at school and summer meals.

“We want to make breakfast part of the school day,” explains Clay Dunn, the program’s interim chief communications and brand officer. “In the past, kids who wanted breakfast would have to arrive at school early, and there was a stigma attached—the ‘poor kids’ were going to the cafeteria.”

Now breakfast is served directly in the classroom, and all the kids eat together.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the second largest in the country, recently finished its three-year rollout of the program, and breakfast is now available to every kid in the school system. The East Coast is up next.

“Earlier this year we got a commitment from New York City to offer breakfast to every elementary school student over the course of next year,” Dunn says.

How You Can Help: You can donate online, and for every $1 you give, No Kid Hungry can offer as many as 10 meals to children.

And if you’re feeling political, you can take things to the next level. The organization is currently lobbying Congress to change the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, which governs most child nutrition programs like school breakfast, lunch and summer meals. Their hope is to increase children’s access to nutritious food even when school is not in session.

#6 Help Kids Whose Parents Are Deployed With the National Guard or Reserves

Charity: Our Military Kids

The Mission: To provide grants for sports, fine arts and tutoring to the children of deployed or severely injured National Guard and Military Reserve members.

The Impact: While the organization has been helping military children for 11 years, this past one has been especially successful. “Through October we’ve been able to give out more than 3,000 grants and more than $1.2 million,” says AnnaMaria Gallozzi, the charity’s communications associate. “We’ve seen an increase in dance, martial arts and gymnastics grants allowing children to be active in their communities.”

Not only do the children get to participate in enriching activities, but the organization’s annual survey found that 92% of families saw an improvement on the child’s stress and anxiety.

How You Can Help: With 93% of each donation going directly to help a child in need, a financial contribution made to Our Military Kids can go a long way.

And if you’re looking to do extra good while holiday shopping, sign up on Amazon Smile to donate a percentage of what you spend to Our Military Kids. You can also donate via eBay for Charity, which lets sellers donate a portion of their sales, and buyers support the organization by shopping.

#7 Bring Playgrounds and Activities to Kids Everywhere

Charity: KaBOOM!

The Mission: To make sure children can participate in active play wherever they are—especially if they’re in underserved areas. Best known for building playgrounds, KaBOOM! also focuses on creating opportunities for kids to “play along the way”—like adding a hopscotch outline at a bus stop, for example.

The Impact: Since its launch in 1996, KaBOOM! has built more than 2,700 playgrounds across the country, including three new playgrounds in Baltimore as part of its Play More B’More initiative this past October. “We want to help bring back hope and pride in communities there,” explains Amy Levner, the program’s vice president of communications and marketing.

In 2015, with the help of thousands of volunteers and donors, they’ve created new play opportunities for more than 1 million kids.

How You Can Help: Of course one easy way is to donate money to help support their efforts around the country. But to really up the ante, consider setting up a donation party, or ask that friends donate to the cause in lieu of getting a gift. “We also love to get community help and support on playground builds,” Levner says.

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Source: http://www.forbes.com/

Volunteer in the Philippines and Make a Difference

With the opportunity to volunteer at your finger tips, you can choose from a variety of projects in the Philippines. Join programs to help this community in need through nutrition, teaching english, healthcare clinics, community centres, care for street children and women, or become a media intern.

As a volunteer in the Philippines you will help to improve the lives of residents of Tacloban, an area that was severely damaged during Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in November 2013. You will support the community as it recovers and support community projects aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable women and children.

Highlights

The objective of GVN's partner organisation in the Philippines is to assist and develop local Filipino communities through education, nutrition, healthcare, support and volunteerism.

The volunteer opportunities are in the following areas:

Street Childrens Program

By volunteering with street children, you can help provide inspiration, education and support to some of the Philippines most underprivileged children. These children typically come from dysfunctional homes where there is poverty, violence, neglect or addiction issues. Many have left home to escape from abusive treatment. Others have resorted to begging in the streets because there is no food in the home.

Teaching English

Learning English is incredibly important and getting off to a good start in elementary school is critical. Unfortunately, many rural elementary schools are overcrowded and lack sufficient textbooks and teaching material. Often, the only classroom equipment available is a blackboard. Children are often squeezed into small classrooms, and most schools do not have a library. As a volunteer you will help these children make a great start with their English speaking.

Public Health - Nutrition

The goals of this nutrition project are two-fold. The first is to provide a stable supplementary feeding program for malnourished infants or pre-school children aged three to six years old. The second is to disseminate information to parents about the importance of healthy nutrition through a series of workshops and seminars.

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Source: http://www.goabroad.com/

MAHAK Charity Day 2015

Benefactors and supporters attended this ceremony and undertook the expenditures required for providing medicine and treating the children with cancer.

The Sweet Dream

At the beginning, Dr. Javad Karbassizadeh, the spouse of the late Afsaneh Dabiri, the Chairman of MAHAK Board of Directors and also one of the key sponsors building the MAHAK hospital, welcomed the guests and explained the most crucial achievements of MAHAK within its plus 24 years of activity. These achievements mainly include: Being ranked in the top ten globally among over 260 non-governmental organizations benchmarked by the Société Generale de Surveillance (SGS) for NGO benchmarking, gaining the consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), receiving Quality Silver Trophy from GIC International Institute, the gold award from the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and also the silver plaque of GPM from the IGPMA in 2014.

In addition, Dr. Karbassizadeh stated: “the construction of MAHAK hospital was started 16 years ago in conjunction with a Sweet Dream of Ms. Afsaneh Dabiri and with the help of it supporters, it is about eight years that this hospital is providing the children with cancer with the most high-quality medical equipment in cooperation with a group of experienced specialists. Now, it is about eight years that this sweet dream has come true, and this has only been performed due to the great support and help of MAHAK supporters. By adhering to four crucial principles of MAHAK ‘Transparency, Appreciation, Accountability, and Integrity’ and counting on the continuous support of MAHAK benefactors, we always wish to be a pioneer organization in treating the children with cancer.”

Well-Being of MAHAK Children Brings Happiness

Abbas Nassiri, the financial sponsor of the ceremony, stated that human beings could only reach to the pure happiness if they can show their affection and companionship to each other.

Moreover, he said: “MAHAK is a place to which we come by hearing our inner voice to seek the healthiness of the children with cancer, which helps us feel more contented. We should all collaborate to make MAHAK as strong as possible and make it a capable organization that can offer the most comprehensive services to children with cancer and empower them to fight against this disease heroically.”

With the Help of Our Supporters, We Can Look Forward to a Brighter Future for MAHAK

The CEO of MAHAK, Arasb Ahmadian, welcomed the attendants and acknowledged the continuous presence of MAHAK supporters. Then he presented a report about MAHAK performance during 2014. The CEO started his report by explaining the worldwide and nationwide statistics on childhood cancer, and mentioned: “According to WHO statistics in 2006, 160,000 new cases of cancer occur yearly among people aged under 15. In the USA, the rate of cancer among the people aged under 15, is 14.9 cases per 100,000 people. Moreover, according to a paper published in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Journal, this rate is 32.2 cases per 100,000 people. According to MAHAK’s statistics, the average annual growth rate of cancer during the period of 2005 to 2014 is 9%, and the number of people newly diagnosed with cancer in 2014 is 2075. MAHAK’s statistics show that the total number of people under MAHAK’s coverage has reached to 13583 cases in 2014, which has the growth rate of 12%. In addition, the average treatment expense per child has increased from 4.4 million Rls in 2005 to 38.9 million Rls in 2014, which has the growth rate of 31%.

Furthermore, Arasb Ahmadian stated: “MAHAK as an NGO has mainly focused on three crucial areas of ‘Charity, Treatment, and Research’ in vein of its vision and mission statements. By relying on the voluntarily supports managed by a systematic approach, MAHAK has emphasized on producing added value for the donations with establishing MAHAK hospital with comprehensive supportive services and performing research projects related to pediatric cancer. In fact, MAHAK has had a systematic approach in performing these activities and it has always avoided the philosophy of helping the people by merely donating money to them. The total amount of donations to MAHAK in 2014 was approximately 127 billion tomans. These donations are spent for different purposes and they are allocated as follows:

 - 53 billion tomans for treatment of children with cancer in 32 university hospitals nationwide in addition to MAHAK hospital
 - 13.5 billion tomans for providing the facilities and infrastructures required for interacting with the donors and increasing the social participation
 - 7 billion tomans for operational expenses of MAHAK
 - 10 billion tomans for constructing Building No. 2 of MAHAK

In addition to the above expenses, 44 billion tomans were designated for equalizing the nationwide supporting services of MAHAK and geographical expansion of MAHAK activities for covering the needs of all children with cancer. These services are based on the 10-year development plan of MAHAK, which is currently being developed. Indeed, after operating for about a quarter of a century, the progress and expansion of MAHAK does still require social participation, similar to the beginning years of its activity.”

Narrating a Story

During the ceremony, Dr. Mohammad Ali Goudarzi, the consultant of the CEO of National Petrochemical Company (NPC) and the chief of the CSR Strategic Council, contributed a precious Shahnameh to MAHAK and mentioned that Iranians have the culture of beneficence and charity from the very ancient time and its examples can be obviously observed in the ancient books such as Shahnameh.

Also, Ms. Saideh Ghods, the founder of MAHAK, said: “the presence of the supporters of the children with cancer makes a very beautiful story for the future generations which could be indeed a tangible Shahnameh that contains the goodness of the people in this era”.

The Warm Presence of Popular Figures

Loris Tjeknavorian, Mohammad Sarir, Majid Derakhshani, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Pouri Banayi and some other artists attended this ceremony. Moreover, the volunteer art therapy group of MAHAK performed some pieces of music for the attendees. This group plays music for the psychology division of MAHAK regularly, which is a supplemental psychological treatment for the children.

We Are So Grateful to Our Supporters

With your kindness and support, our children will be able to say goodbye to cancer and continue on with their sweet childhood days.

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Source: http://www.mahak-charity.org/

Alabang School Principal Finds Private Sector Aid for Children Beneficiary

Dr. Antonio Rocha, Principal of Alabang Elementary School (AES), walks into the institution with more than 6,000 kids every morning, five times a week, 10 months each year. In Muntinlupa’s pioneering SPED (Special Education) public school, the demands are different, especially with a mixed demographic of kindergarten, grade school, and SPED students belonging to either the special or the gifted category.

“Most of the kids enrolled here are from the immediate community — with the exception of SPED kids who come all the way from Bicutan, Parañaque, and even Laguna. For us and the teaching staff, no two days are the same— everyday we face different challenges brought about by the unique circumstances of the school children. With the limited resources of some of our students, we figured that one of the best ways to help provide for them is by collaborating with our local stakeholders,” says Dr. Rocha.

Public-Private collaboration

Among Alabang Elementary School’s longstanding corporate partners is Convergys Philippines, particularly its Alabang sites. Over the last four years, Convergys Alabang has been supporting a feeding program for the school, and for the last two years, also a year-end Christmas activity for the students. It started with supporting students in the SPED program, and has expanded to include the school’s other students over the years.

This year, three Convergys Alabang sites have decided to sustain their partnership with Alabang Elementary School through their project called “Give a Bag of Hope.” Activated and enabled by employee contributions, the campaign seeks to address the lack of school supplies of public school students by distributing backpacks complete with all the necessary items at the start of the school year. In just two months, Convergys Alabang has already donated and distributed 1,000 bags of hope to the school’s Grade 1 pupils.

“Dire poverty is a problem for most kids: having no money for transportation, food, and even school supplies — but this problem is already being alleviated because of projects like “Give a Bag of Hope.” The hurdles are being replaced by positivity. Our kids have no reason not to go to school anymore because they already have what they need, and many of them also benefit from the free feeding program. All these support mechanisms inspire and strengthen them to do well in school,” added Dr. Rocha.

A system of collaboration has been instituted between Convergys and AES in order to make short and mid-term plans work best for the students. While Convergys helps the pupils with their school supplies, a partnership with the Philippine Red Cross also ensures that children who are severely malnourished are also fed one complete meal a day.

“We have a nice system in place to support students. We just have to be strategic — catering to the kids in need, while maintaining good classroom standards, as every school should,” adds Dr. Rocha.

Hope!

During the turnover ceremony of the bags of hope last July, kids from AES presented a short dance number. Of about 20 young performers clad in red sandos and bandanas, two were more than glad to share their wholehearted ambitions.

Arylle and John Philip are both Grade 1 students enrolled in the SPED program for gifted children. The former wants to become an accountant like her aunt, while the latter wants to become a teacher. The two actually enjoy Math, Science, and English, and they relish the lessons everyday, thinking nothing could ever stop them from reaching their dreams.

Everyday they walk into the school with about 6,000 other kids, for five times a week, 10 months in a year. They have no reason not to go to school. Equipped with what they need with the help of partners like Convergys employees, they can continue to study and hope for a bright future.

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Source: http://www.philstar.com/

US Charity Group Raising Funds for Filipino Street Kids

MANILA, Oct. 2, 2015— A US-based charitable organization is hoping to bring health services to more Filipino street children and poor families.

The Barnabite Heart to Heart Mission launched a fundraising campaign on Sept. 19 to raise US$100,000, or roughly Php 4.6 million, to set up and operate a mobile medical unit in the Philippines.

The fundraising event for the “Make Sad Eyes Smile” project was attended by Cardinal Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila himself in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The project is the brainchild of the group’s founder, Fr. Robert Kosek, when he returned to Pennsylvania from the Philippines in 2014.

The priest was working as rector of the Barnabite Seminary in Marikina City when he realized the immense poverty of the area and started the House of Care of Fr. Semeria, a school for poor children.

Later on, the facility started providing food and medical services.

“Make Sad Eyes Smile will help the poor street children in the Philippines by giving them medical and dental care,” Kosek said.

“And by doing that, we are showing them God’s love and helping them feel and live better,” he added.

According to him, they need to raise a certain amount to obtain a medical van, build its interior, equip it and operate for the first year.

In his message, Tagle said the mobile clinic will help a lot in terms of providing health services to “people who are forced into poverty.”

“We in the Philippines, especially the poor children… we are not the only ones who will benefit from this project but the whole humanity for I believe that every act of love changes the whole world,” Tagle said.

The project also got the support of Allentown Bishop John Barres, saying that it is an opportunity for the people of the diocese to “raise their consciousness of the people of the Philippines.” (R. Lagarde/CBCPNews)

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Source: http://www.cbcpnews.com/

Project PEARLS: Giving Hope and a Bright Future to the Poor Children in the Philippines

THE Philippines is considered a developing country, with its economic growth and boom in certain industries. However, these boom and bust cycles has little impact on reducing poverty in the country. In fact, the Asian Development Bank has said that, “poverty and inequality in the Philippines remains a challenge.”

There is a great divide and inequality across income brackets. With the country’s differing regions and sectors, as well as unmanaged population growth, poverty reduction in the Philippines has been slow.

The most affected are the children. Having nothing to eat, no safe shelter, no access to health care and education, these young people grow up just like how they lived—being poor. This adds on to the problem, making it near impossible to reduce the rate of poverty.

Aiming to protect and provide the basic human rights of the poorest of the poor children in the Philippines, Project PEARLS (Peace, Education, Aspiration, Respect, Love and Smiles) came to happen.

In 2008, Melissa Villa and her daughter, Francesca (who are based in San Jose, California), started a humble project to help a deaf and mute childhood friend, who was living in the Manila’s slums. They helped her send her two children to school.

Two years later, Manila-based Belgian photojournalist Sidney Snoeck posted on Facebook a photo of a child worker in Ulingan who was coated with soot and dirt from head to toe. Located in Tondo, Manila, Ulingan—the Filipino word for “charcoal factory”—is a small community in a reclaimed area of Manila’s North Harbor. The families living there worked to produce charcoal to sell and only earn a meager $2 a day. Apart from that, the living and working conditions in Ulingan is unsanitary and inhabitable.

From that photo, Villa, who is Project PEARLS’ Executive Director and Founder, knew she had to do something for those children. The two kids they sent to school then grew to at least 300 children being fed and taught every week, and to more than 300 scholars from pre-school to college.

With its mission to feed, educate, advocate and work for the basic human rights of the Filipino children living in poverty, Project PEARLS became their responsible voice. Their main goal is to help the children get out of poverty to enable them to achieve their dreams.

“We believe that education (and literacy) will break that vicious cycle of poverty,” said Villa.  “We offer scholarships from preschool to college; we run after school programs, summer programs, literacy clubs both for the youth and the adults.  We open educational opportunities for them to make them realize that their hopes and dreams of getting out of poverty are possible through education.”

She also shared that the first community they adopted in Tondo, Manila was recently relocated. Through Project PEARLS, the people were able to understand what were written in the proposal and agreement drafted by the government. “We helped this community by becoming their eyes, ears and voice; because most of them are illiterate,” Villa said.

Starting with only ten volunteers, Project PEARLS grew in numbers—with almost a hundred at present. They also adopted another community in Tondo, the Helping Land, but still continue to help the Ulingan families in their new location.

At present, Project PEARLS’ current programs include the Daily Soup Kitchen, Scholarship Program, Sunday After School Program, Brain Booster, Literacy Clubs, Birthday Program, and their Medical & Dental Mission.

“Future programs include expansion of our After School Program from once a week to daily and sustainable livelihood programs,” shared Villa and then added, “We also would like to bring Project PEARLS in the rural part of the Philippines.”

Although Project PEARLS have managed to get grants and donations from foundations and individuals, Villa admits that one major challenge is their funding.

“We have grown over the five years since we established in terms of the children and communities we are serving and the number of outreach programs we hold. Our funding and resources are still very limited,” she said. “Because of these limitations, not all of our scholars have sponsors; we can only feed a few hundreds of children; we cannot help all the children with urgent and emergency health cases.”

With this in mind, Villa would like to impart a message on helping others: “We are all blessed and privileged to be in the US and living that American Dream. And we can still help the least [fortunate] back home in the Philippines. These poorest of the poor children and communities do not have the same welfare benefits that the poor have here. There are children from these poorest communities who are already working so none of their family members will die of starvation overnight. We can all make a difference; we can all try to live simply so others can simply live.”

To help, volunteer, share, advocate, please check their website at www.projectpearls.org and follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/projectpearls1 and Instagram @projectpearls.

Project Pearls was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission in 2011, as a non-stock, non-profit, and non-partisan organization and is a non-profit 5010 (c) (3) organization.

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Source: http://asianjournal.com/

Newly-single Nicole Scherzinger Mends Her Broken Heart with a Charitable Visit to Poverty-stricken Children in the Philippines

Nicole Scherzinger reflected on her spent time with the children of poverty-stricken Manila on Friday afternoon.

The singer, who is currently going through a break up with her boyfriend of eight years Lewis Hamilton, posted adorable pictures of a visit to the worst-affected areas of The Philippines, where she met children living in dangerous, overcrowded communities around the capital.

Nicole, 36, visited Southeast Asian country with Unicef, later saying she 'fell in love' with the beautiful children on what was an 'inspiring' day.

All smiles: Nicole Scherzinger smiled as she visited poverty-stricken children in Manila, The Philippines on Friday

She captioned the photos: 'I'm in the #Philippines with @Unicef_UK seeing how they support vulnerable children. I'm in love with the kids I've met, so special each one of them!'

Nicole called the experience, 'Such an honor and blessing to spend time w/ these beautiful children'.


In one image, she coos over an adorable tot up, lifting them into the air and continuing her caption by saying, 'Esp this lit' one today. Despite tough conditions these kids are so inspiring!'

Fallen in love: Nicole fell head over heels for one tot who she swung in the air and cooed over

Being of Filipino heritage herself, Nicole was interested to spend a day with the world's leading organisation - which fights for the well-being of children in 190 countries across the globe - as part of their Children In Danger campaign.

Many of the families Nicole met at the Baseco Compound, near the main port in Manila, would have been battling poverty, hunger, disease and the risk of violence.


She spoke to Unicef about her harrowing experience, saying: 'I'm part Filipina so I have a strong connection with the country and feel I have a responsibility to do what I can and bring awareness to the dangers that Filipino children face everyday.

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Children in the Philippines Risk Their Lives in Underwater Gold Mines, Report Says

Study by a rights group says children are working "absolutely terrifying conditions"

“Thousands” of children in the Philippines are working in dangerous underwater gold mines that could collapse without notice, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The organization released a report on Wednesday documenting the stories of 65 of these child miners, some as young as 9 years old, who have suffered adverse health effects from their work in the mines. HRW said that it had also interviewed local officials, health workers, mining experts and community leaders.

Many of the children HRW spoke to said they descended into deep, watery pits to find gold, then later processed the precious metal with mercury, a poisonous metal that causes muscle spasms, back pain and skin irritation.

“Filipino children are working in absolutely terrifying conditions in small-scale gold mines,” Juliane Kippenberg, associate children’s-rights director at HRW and author of the report, says in a statement to TIME. “The Philippine government prohibits dangerous child labor, but has done very little to enforce the law.”

While children can work underwater for long periods, receiving air from a tube hooked up to an air compressor above the surface, fears of drowning are rampant.

In 2014 a 17-year-old miner and his adult brother died of asphyxiation deep in a mining pit.

“Sometimes you have to make it up fast, especially if you have no air in your hose,” a 16-year-old miner told HRW, explaining that if miners come up too fast they get the bends. “It’s a normal thing. It’s happened to me,” he said.

The practice happens because many gold deposits in the Philippine are found under the water table, requiring the sinking of submerged pits, some 10 m deep, for their extraction.

According to HRW, roughly 200,000 to 300,000 miners work in gold mines in the Philippines, which is the world’s 20th largest gold producer. In 2014 the country’s mines produced 18 tons of gold at a value of more than $700 million.

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Source: http://time.com/