Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • June 6, 2012 have her parents drive him there. Peter’s mom is on family leave from her job in order to take care of him. She hopes to move into her own home by the fall, and Peter would like to return to school. Mom’s main need is for a car. “If I could get a good used car that I can afford, I wouldn’t have to rely on my parents and others to get Peter to his appointments,” she told us. Summer needs: We need window air conditioning units, new or in good working condition, for our families. We also need boys’ summer clothing in size 7/8 and XL, and shoes in size 7. Some of our families could use prepaid phone cards for Cricket Mobile. ECF uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who has cancer. Approximately 70 cents from every dollar goes toward direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, please let us know. Each month, we distribute about 140 bags of food to our families. You can help us fill our pantry. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please grab some extra items and drop them off at our outreach center. Staples such as sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, detergent, pancake mix/syrup, and rice are always needed. You can help in a variety of ways. Consider turning your next event into a fundraiser for ECF, and ask guests to bring checks or gift cards to be used by our families. Your efforts help us to help our families in many ways, including sending a case worker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. Kids can help, too. Many have held sales or other events and contributed the proceeds to ECF. If your Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop needs to earn badges, visit us in Midland Park. Scouts can get creative and have fun helping our families as they learn about philanthropy. ECF representatives are available to discuss our programs at your next fundraiser or event. Give us a call for more information. If you have a few hours a week to spare, consider becoming a volunteer, or just stop by and meet with us, take a look at our pantry, and see what ECF is all about. Call (201) 612-8118 before you stop by. Please do not leave items at the center without checking with us first. Our storage space is limited. The Northern Regional Center is located at 174 Paterson Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Visit us at www. emmanuelcancer.org. As always, thank you for helping the children and their families! Our hat’s off to Waldwick Girl Scout Troop 812 for collecting food for our families. Troop members include Jillian, Brooke, Elizabeth, Mehka, Sneha, Asley L., Ashley B., Lily, Carlie, Missy, and Zeina. A special shout out goes to 11-year-old Hayley Griffin from Wyckoff. Hayley celebrated her 11th birthday at the Drawing Room in Midland Park. In lieu of gifts, Hayley asked for donations to our center. She collected $150.We used Hayley’s contribution to buy clothing gift cards for our families. We thank Hayley and her friends! Meet Peter: Peter is a quiet 15-year-old who enjoys playing and watching basketball. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of his left femur in November 2011, during his freshman year in high school. He recently underwent surgery, which included a full amputation of his left leg. He told his mother that, as much as he enjoys playing basketball and understands the effects of having his leg amputated, he knows his life is more important than basketball. He has been receiving homebound tutoring since his diagnosis. He had chemotherapy prior to his surgery. He went through rehabilitation and now tries to maintain an upbeat mood. He is waiting to be fitted for a prosthetic leg. After recent testing, the doctors told Peter’s mother that the cancer has spread to his lung and kidney, which means he has started chemotherapy again to hopefully put his cancer into remission. When Peter is not getting treatment, he spends his time playing computer games and doing the homework he receives from his tutor. He and his mother are currently living at his grandparents’ home, which is not in the same town as where he was living before his diagnosis. When Peter wants to see his friends, his mom needs to Veterans Services Tracer Program (continued from page 7) The primary mission of these volunteers is to locate homeless veterans and link them to community-based and VA sponsored programs and benefits. TRACERS hopes to find veterans shelters, jobs that provide adequate income, and other needed services in Bergen County. TRACERS works with local veterans’ groups and other nonprofit organizations, public officials, business leaders, and homeless (and formerly homeless) veterans. The program’s name was derived from the glow-inthe-dark bullets recognized by U.S. Military personnel. The veterans who volunteer for TRACERS are guiding lights who offer nontraditional outreach efforts to homeless veterans. The goal is to help every homeless veteran in Bergen County reach self-sufficiency. In addition, TRACERS has established a transitional home in the City of Garfield with support services for eight homeless veterans. The home opened in 2003. While the exact number of homeless veterans in Bergen County is unknown, the number is estimated at nearly 100. In 1994, TRACERS was recognized by Rutgers University for its innovation and received the coveted New Jersey State and Local Award. In April 1996, the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Inc. honored TRACERS as a finalist in the adult volunteer category. For additional information, visit http://www. co.bergen.nj.us/bcdhs/divisions/veteran.htm or call (201) 336-6325. To make a donation, checks made payable to “County of Bergen Tracers” may be sent to: Bergen County Division of Veterans Services, One Bergen County Plaza, Second Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601. The public can also help by donating gift certificates of $25 through $50 redeemable in Hackensack stores such as Sears, S-4 Military Surplus, and CVS Pharmacy. New items such as carrying bags, sweatshirts in size large and extra-large, may be dropped off weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Parking is available. Pickup can be arranged for individual cartons weighing less than 25 pounds if volunteers are available. TRACERS assures that every penny donated is spent on items and services that help improve the lives of former members of the U.S. Military and their families who are now homeless.