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Hope for the holidays with new fund initiative
By Francesca Olsen
The holidays are a time to think of others, even if you’ve never met them before. With a recession holding on tightly to people across all income and cultural barriers, people may be thinking of giving less to the needy this year. Unfortunately, the needy are even needier now, which is why Northeast Parent and Child Society has launched a wider initiative — the new Holiday Hope Fund, with the hope of serving more people than ever this season.
The Parent and Child Society used to have a traditional “Adopt-A-Family” program for the holidays, but with 6,300 people from 29 counties (and growing) asking for holiday help, it was time for a change.
“Our plan is to serve more than 1,900 people this holiday season,” said Laura Alpert of the Northeast Parent and Child Society. “The thought of managing a wish list for that many people is daunting, and it’s just not feasible.”
There are many ways to contribute. People can donate money online, purchase a gift from a wish list posted on the society’s Web site, or order a gift from the society’s Walmart gift registry at www.neparentchild.org. Those who wish to give can also volunteer to sort or wrap gifts or mail a donation to the society’s headquarters in Schenectady.
Local businesses are providing drop-off points throughout the Capital Region, but no businesses in the county area have signed up yet. Donations will be accepted at the society’s Hudson location at 46 Green St. or in Catskill at 455 Main St.
Gifts can be dropped off between Nov. 2 and Dec. 11. Don’t wrap the gifts, because volunteers will need to organize, sort and distribute them.
Donations will allow clinicians at Northeast to help parents in need develop skills that will help them not only for the holidays, but in the long run. They’ll take parents shopping, and give help with budgeting and practice with independent living skills.
“They’re learning the things that will allow them to stand on their own,” said Alpert. “We wanted to make our holiday efforts more widespread to help more people ... and to reinforce what the clinicians are teaching the families every single day.
“Mastering these kinds of skills will help parents keep their children in their home, or possibly help the children return home,” she continued. “Ultimately, a family court judge decides where the kids are going to live .. .there’s a lot at stake beyond just gifts this holiday season.”
Alpert said she thought the Holiday Hope Fund would be more successful than efforts in previous years. “The focus of the program has entirely changed,” she said. “We’re also getting on TV and radio. We’re reaching out through Twitter and Facebook and our Web site and we’re asking people to do the same thing ... the donations, in terms of the checks we’re receiving through our appeal ... are greater than they have been at this time in the past.”
The society hopes they will raise more than $100,000 this holiday season as more people appeal to Northeast for care each year. Alpert said that compared to the previous fiscal year, the number of people being served increased by about 25 percent.
“Over the past few years, the number of people we have served has jumped, usually, between 20 and 25 percent every single year,” said Alpert.
“People seem to be very excited about it, and engaged in trying to make a difference,” Alpert said. “For $50, that means a parent can buy gifts for one of their kids. I think it excites people that it can be that easy.”
For more information, visit www.neparentchild.org, call 518-579-3502, or e-mail Holidayhope@neparentchild.org.
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
The Parent and Child Society used to have a traditional “Adopt-A-Family” program for the holidays, but with 6,300 people from 29 counties (and growing) asking for holiday help, it was time for a change.
“Our plan is to serve more than 1,900 people this holiday season,” said Laura Alpert of the Northeast Parent and Child Society. “The thought of managing a wish list for that many people is daunting, and it’s just not feasible.”
There are many ways to contribute. People can donate money online, purchase a gift from a wish list posted on the society’s Web site, or order a gift from the society’s Walmart gift registry at www.neparentchild.org. Those who wish to give can also volunteer to sort or wrap gifts or mail a donation to the society’s headquarters in Schenectady.
Local businesses are providing drop-off points throughout the Capital Region, but no businesses in the county area have signed up yet. Donations will be accepted at the society’s Hudson location at 46 Green St. or in Catskill at 455 Main St.
Gifts can be dropped off between Nov. 2 and Dec. 11. Don’t wrap the gifts, because volunteers will need to organize, sort and distribute them.
Donations will allow clinicians at Northeast to help parents in need develop skills that will help them not only for the holidays, but in the long run. They’ll take parents shopping, and give help with budgeting and practice with independent living skills.
“They’re learning the things that will allow them to stand on their own,” said Alpert. “We wanted to make our holiday efforts more widespread to help more people ... and to reinforce what the clinicians are teaching the families every single day.
“Mastering these kinds of skills will help parents keep their children in their home, or possibly help the children return home,” she continued. “Ultimately, a family court judge decides where the kids are going to live .. .there’s a lot at stake beyond just gifts this holiday season.”
Alpert said she thought the Holiday Hope Fund would be more successful than efforts in previous years. “The focus of the program has entirely changed,” she said. “We’re also getting on TV and radio. We’re reaching out through Twitter and Facebook and our Web site and we’re asking people to do the same thing ... the donations, in terms of the checks we’re receiving through our appeal ... are greater than they have been at this time in the past.”
The society hopes they will raise more than $100,000 this holiday season as more people appeal to Northeast for care each year. Alpert said that compared to the previous fiscal year, the number of people being served increased by about 25 percent.
“Over the past few years, the number of people we have served has jumped, usually, between 20 and 25 percent every single year,” said Alpert.
“People seem to be very excited about it, and engaged in trying to make a difference,” Alpert said. “For $50, that means a parent can buy gifts for one of their kids. I think it excites people that it can be that easy.”
For more information, visit www.neparentchild.org, call 518-579-3502, or e-mail Holidayhope@neparentchild.org.
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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