Friends of Karen Brings Gifts (and Smiles) to Local Children with Cancer

“Thank you for all you have done for our son, his sisters and for us. The holiday gifts you sent were the highlight of the year! It was with your help that we were able to smile throughout the hardships.”

Friends of Karen, a local children’s charity, received this note from the parents of a 5-year-old boy who battled leukemia for more than 3 years. Every day, Friends of Karen is a lifeline for hundreds of Tri-State families caring for a child with cancer or another life-threatening illness, providing the vital, practical and comprehensive support they so desperately need to cope with the uncertainties of fighting for their child’s life.

Their “Holiday Adopt-A-Family” program makes sure each Friends of Karen sick child as well as his or her well siblings receives holiday gifts. The program is a perfect opportunity to spread the holiday spirit by helping a child in need.

“Each of our children sends us their wish list, and we match each child with a kind-hearted ‘elf’ who purchases the items on their list,” says Judith Factor, the charity’s Executive Director. “Every child looks forward to the holidays, but when parents are struggling to care for a child with cancer, there‘s no time for shopping or even thinking about gifts. We want to give them something to smile about.”

You can be the one who creates those smiles. Friends of Karen needs your help to make sure there are gifts for every child.. Please contact mailto:denisetredwell@friendsofkaren.org or call her at (914) 617-4052 by Dec. 1. If you don’t have time to shop, no worries: you can make a donation and they’ll do the shopping for you. Go to www.FriendsOfKaren.org and click on the photo of little Leni and the purple balloons.

Friends of Karen is the only organization in the New York Tri-State region that provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to families caring for a child with cancer or another life-threatening illness. They help free them of everyday needs and concerns, so they have more time for what’s really important: each other. Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial responsibility and effectiveness of thousands of U.S. charities, gives Friends of Karen a 4-star rating, its highest award.

For more information about Friends of Karen, visit www.FriendsOfKaren.org or call (914) 617-4042.