Roxborough Area Charity Brings Ill And Disabled Children Holiday Cheer

November 6, 2015— Families with seriously ill or disabled children in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey get to experience their own holiday joy despite financial setbacks as the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund provides a Holiday Adopt-A-Family program.

The Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund actively receives donors willing to purchase gifts or gift cards for families in need. The program matches families of seriously ill or disabled children with these donors to ensure that families in crisis can share in the spirit of the holiday season.

The 2014 Holiday program set record numbers. 265 families received the true spirit of the holidays thanks to generosity and care of sponsors. More than 1,100 patients, their siblings, and parents received $125,000 worth of gifts and gift cards.

The Holiday program runs on close communication from the Dolan Fund’s network of social workers who refer their patient families’ wish lists. The Fund sends the lists to the interested donors with information on conditions these families faced with including the ill child’s medical history, parent’s employment status or whether the family is headed by a single parent.

Donors are asked to spend about $100 on each family member and the size of the family can be selected. Unwrapped gifts are delivered to Wissahickon Fire Company which is adjacent to the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund office.

This process introduces community sponsors to the difficulties and hardships their adopted family faces every day. Difficulties for many families range from costly medical appointments, avoiding shut-off notices, or families sacrificing work hours for the child’s needs.

To sponsor a family for the Adopt-A-Family program or to donate to the fund, call 215-643-0763 or visit www.dolanfund.org.

About Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund

The Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund was founded in 1976 by Joe and Peggy Dolan in memory of their daughter Kelly Anne who passed away from a rare form of leukemia at the age of six. The mission of the Fund is rooted in the hospital experiences and observations of the Dolans and the realization that there were few or no resources available to assist families dealing with a seriously ill or disabled child.

The Fund receives approximately 1,200 referrals per year and serves as a resource providing education, advocacy, information and financial assistance for needs not covered by insurance of families caring for seriously ill and physically/cognitively challenged children. The Fund recently reached 25,000 total families served since beginning operations. Visit Dolanfund.org to learn more about the Fund and its services.

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