Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • March 21, 2012 for us. Please call us for details. We are thinking about some creative ways to hold some fun fundraisers for the spring. If you would like to help us, call our office at (201) 612-8118 and ask for Laura, or e-mail: laura@emmanuelcancer.org. ECF, which was named for a little boy named Emmanuel who lost his battle with cancer nearly 30 years ago, 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. Our families appreciate your efforts. Staples such as sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, detergent, pancake mix/syrup, and rice are always needed. Meet Jerrel: Jerrel is a 14-year old boy with leukemia. Life was very tough at the initial stages of Jerrel’s illness as neither parent was able to work, between the intensive care they had to provide for him and the fact that there was an infant sibling at home. Before affiliating with ECF, Jerrel’s family lived in a shelter. Jerrel spent several months in the hospital, so his parents had to take turns living there with him. He had a poor appetite, could not keep much in his stomach, and lost a good deal of weight. He was later diagnosed with diabetes and was put on insulin. The family faces major obstacles, including arranging transportation to Jerrel’s doctor, laboratory tests, scans, chemotherapy treatments, blood transfusions, radiation therapy, and occupational therapy. A brain injury left Jerrel with memory loss, and he sometimes did not recognize familiar faces, nor was he cognizant of his environment or able to communicate. At one point, he had to re-learn how to walk. Although physically a teenager, his behavior was more like that of a toddler. To add to his complications, Jerrel had a stroke. This latest development was devastating to the family. Naturally, he missed a great deal of time in school due to his prolonged hospitalization. All his parents wanted was for Jerrel to return home to join the rest of the family. Since the family moved from the shelter to their current location, Mom and Dad now have to worry about paying the rent and the utility bills, putting food on the table, and providing clothing and other necessities. Of particular importance is their only telephone, which is vital for communicating with the hospital and other providers. Jerrel’s case worker, Evelyn, advocates for them whenever providers threaten to turn off the phone due to non-payment. ECF has provided financial support for overdue utility bills, and gift certificates for the family. Jerrel’s immediate needs are basics such as clothing, pants in size 36 and tops (dress shirts) in size large. His baby brother who is two could also benefit from clothing. Your financial assistance to ECF will help ensure that we keep the telephone and electricity uninterrupted for this family. 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 caseworker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. This support for the kids, their siblings, and parents is crucial. Kids are welcome to 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. Just 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 us at (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 on the web at www.emmanuelcancer.org. As always, thank you for helping the children and their families! Our hat’s off to the Wyckoff Seniors for their food donations. We also thank the many local Girl Scout Troops for donating cookies to our families. Please save the following dates: The wonderful Darius Gibbs will host a Fashion Show benefit for us on Friday, March 23 at the Warwick Hotel in New York City. Visit www.emmanuelcancer. org for details. On May 14, ECF will be the beneficiary of Blue Moon Mexican Restaurant’s Community Day. Come to Boulder Run Shopping Center in Wyckoff to eat any time from 11:30 a.m. through 9 p.m. that day, and Blue Moon will donate 20 percent of your bill to our Family Assistance Fund. It’s not too early to think about hosting a spring tea Yvonne Beatrice (continued from page 3) of the township, research historical structures, attend a meeting of the township council or the municipal court, and interview a long-term resident. Beatrice is a graduate of Montclair State College (now Montclair State University. Originally from Fair Lawn, she moved to Mahwah 25 years ago. Before the arrival of her two children, she taught in the Ridgewood and Hawthorne school districts. The second portion of her bifurcated career began at Mahwah High 12 years ago -- the same year her daughter enrolled as a student. The educator and her husband, Michael Beatrice, Esq., have coached the Mahwah High School Mock Trial Team, and recently led the group to the top spot in a countywide competition. The husband and wife are perfect for the job, since regulations require each team to have two coaches: one teacher and one lawyer.