News: Walk for Chalk 2009 Great Success!

Kids-for-Kids of New Jersey, Inc. held its annual walk to benefit needy children in New Jersey at the West Windsor Community Park on May 16. The walk was a great success. Thanks to all of you who supported the walk. We raised a total of approximately $10,000. The purpose of the walk was to raise funds to support Kids-for-Kids community service projects benefiting needy children in New Jersey, the largest project being the purchase of new backpacks and school supplies to be delivered to needy children in New Jersey for the 2009-2010 school year. Some of these funds were used to fill 300 new backpacks stuffed with new school supplies. These backpacks were delivered to the various shelters and organizations in New Jersey, which Kids-for-Kids assists.

Additional backpacks provided by Williams-Sonoma were delivered to The Get Set Program at The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton. In May 2007, Williams-Sonoma adopted Kids-for-Kids as one of the community service organizations which it supports. Since that time it has donated assorted bags (backpacks, lunch boxes, duffle bags, diaper bags) from one of it’s companies, Pottery Barn Kids. Kids-for-Kids has in turn donated these items to the above-mentioned organizations. Williams-Sonoma employees have also supported Kids-for-Kids in hosting parties for children at shelters and in the annual Walk-for-Chalk. Larry Korczyk heads up William Sonoma’s work with Kids-for-Kids. Other Williams-Sonoma employees also involved are: Gurpreet Virdi, Mark Aliperti, Jimmy Bates and Mike Perno. Kids-for-Kids is very grateful for Williams- Sonoma’s generosity.

The Get Set Academic Year After School Program at the Westminster Presbyterian Church is a five day a week after school program that includes programs for tutoring, music, visual arts, dance, theatre, team-building games and creative craft projects. Get Set also has summer programs for children, in partnership with the City of Trenton, Department of Recreation. Kids-for-Kids will be tutoring students at the Get Set Program this year.

Rev. Karen Hernández-Granzen of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Alexandra Canales and Linda Konra Byers are responsible for organizing this wonderful program.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other Kids-for-Kids community service projects include hosting parties at local group homes and shelters for children and conducting drives for toys, art supplies, toiletries, dental supplies, baby supplies, pajamas, sneakers, towels, socks and underwear. In the past couple years, Kids-for-Kids conducted a diaper drive at Grover Middle School and donated these diapers to needy families in the Keansburg area through Project Paul. Additionally, the Grover members held a drive for toiletries at the school.

Kids-for-Kids also held a Thanksgiving Luncheon for children at the Children’s Day School in Ewing and took children from the Laurie Haven House in Edison to a performance of A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre. In February, we hosted a Valentine’s Day Party for these children as well and in March, we hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Party for children at the Davis and Grace Houses in Newark. High School South members also volunteered at the Crisis Ministry Food Pantry in Trenton and tutored children through the Trenton After School Program on a weekly basis. This year our members will also tutor children at the Get Set After School Program at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton.