Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-June 20, 2012 Issue

Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • June 20, 2012 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 (continued on page 19) Our hat’s off to Carolyn Edwards from Ramsey, one of our volunteers who hosted a jewelry party and collected food for our pantry. Thank you! Meet Aaron: Aaron was diagnosed with eye cancer when he was just a year old. He lost his right eye shortly after that. Now Aaron is 10 and he cannot see very well out of his left eye because of a cataract. He lives with his mom, who, over the years, has constantly struggled trying to find jobs that pay enough money provide care for her son. They have moved about six times since they have been known to ECF. Mom and Aaron just took a room in someone else’s apartment because that is all they can afford. Aaron needs new glasses to help him salvage the little eyesight he has left. This family is also in need of furniture for their home. Neither of them has a bed or a dresser for their clothing. When you ask Aaron’s mom if she has any regrets having to live this way, she says, “I will do anything to make sure Aaron is being taken care of.” Specific needs are gift cards to Target or Walmart for furniture, and Burlington Coat Factory for clothing. The family could really benefit from a gift card to Optical World for Aaron’s glasses. 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. We are looking for gift cards to TJ Maxx and Marshalls. We will give these to our families so they can buy summer clothing. In addition, we can use gas gift cards. We are still looking for a replacement CPU for Martha’s family. (They have a monitor and keyboard.) ECF uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who A new Alzheimer’s Caregivers’ Support Group will meet on Thursday, June 28 at the Ramsey Public Library, 30 Wyckoff Avenue in Ramsey. Anyone with a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia disorder is invited to share his or her concerns in this supportive, caring, and confidential environment. The group is offered through the trained facilitators at Distinc- Caregivers’ support group forming tive Care Geriatric Care Management in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association of New Jersey. Sophia Heftler, nurse and founder of Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management, will be the facilitator at this meeting. Future meetings are planned for July 26, Aug. 23, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, and Nov. 29. For further information, or to register, contact Pat Linard at (201) 857-5283. Color Your �� with Savings ��