CATHOLIC CHARITIES NORTH RECEIVES GENEROUS DONATION FROM THE KENNEK FOUNDATION

The Kennek Foundation, (www.thekennekfoundation.org) a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing hope and inspiration to those going through tough times, announced the delivery of dozens of Trouble The Dog plush healing puppies (www.troublethedog.net) and beautifully illustrated children’s books to The Family Counseling and Guidance Center of Catholic Charities North (www.ccab.org). The donation came from a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous with a specific request that the donation helps Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities North began more than 95 years ago with initial sites in Salem and Lynn, MA. Today, they serve more than 18,000 children,youth, and adults annually in communities north of Boston. As part of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston, the agency serves more than 200,000 people throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

The programs offered through Catholic Charities North strive to prevent hunger and homelessness for local families in financial emergency; engage youth in education and employment programs focused on long-term solutions to poverty; and support families in their effort to build safe, nurturing environments for children.

“We are extremely grateful for the Trouble The Dog healing dogs and books which will be a great source of comfort for the children in our programs,” said Richard Muzzy, Director of Clinical Services, Family Counseling and Guidance Center, Catholic Charities North. “We serve 900 to 1,000 children and families and provide over 15,000 hours of clinical work in a fiscal year. There are sixty children currently in our early child care center and another 130 children in after school programs. The immediate need is truly great and this is a wonderful start to bring comfort to children facing poverty and homelessness.”

“Our meeting with Catholic Charities North was eye opening,” said Sheila Duncan, Founder of The Kennek Foundation. “The need for the therapeutic comfort that Trouble offers is overwhelming to the point where the staff is having a difficult time deciding where to start distribution. When we asked for a ballpark number of kids who could use a Trouble Dog to hug, we were told well over 1,000 locally. We are going to do everything we can to get Trouble into the arms of every child who can use a comforting hug.”

Trouble The Dog is an ultra-soft keepsake plush dog known to comfort and soothe children experiencing trouble in their lives. He is 100% made in America and has been applauded by CNN and MSNBC as a ?socially conscious comfort toy and as a therapy dog by the Boston Herald. Trouble’s mission dovetails the good work of Catholic Charities North, teaching kids about resilience and how to have hope in difficult times.


For more information about Trouble The Dog, visit: www.troublethedog.net To donate a Trouble plush puppy to a child who needs a comforting hug, visit: www.thekennekfoundation.org.



Photo:
The Family Counseling and Guidance Center of Catholic Charities North graciously accepts a generous donation from an anonymous donor through The Kennek Foundation. The donation includes dozens of Trouble The Dog plush healing puppies and children’s books to bring comfort to children facing poverty and homelessness. Catholic Charities North serves 900 to 1,000 children and families and provides over 15,000 hours of clinical work in a fiscal year. There are sixty children currently in the early child care center and another 130 children in after school programs.

L to R, Tina Varinos, Clinician, Richard Muzzy, Director of Clinical Services, and Linda Danko, Clinician, Catholic Charities North, and Sheila Duncan, Founder, The Kennek Foundation.