Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • April 24, 2013 into a fundraiser, and collect checks or gift cards for our families. Your efforts help us to help families in many ways, including sending a case worker to visit the families at their home or in the hospital. This support for the kids, their siblings, and parents is crucial. Get your kids involved, too. Some have held sales or events and donated the proceeds to ECF. Is your Cub Scout or Girl Scout Troop looking to earn badges? Call us for some ideas to get creative and have fun while learning about philanthropy! We rely on our local community to help support our families. Many of them do not have the financial or emotional support to help them get through a major illness like cancer. Please remember, we do not charge anything for our services. We rely on you! Emmanuel Cancer Foundation is now celebrating 30 years of providing exceptional free services to families all over New Jersey. We welcome members of the community to make a contribution to honor this milestone. Just imagine how much good we could do with $30 from every reader! ECF is seeking volunteers to help with a 2013 holiday party for our families. If you can provide food, gifts, activities, or crafts for our kids and their families, please call. 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) 6128118 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 in Midland Park. 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 Christian Health Care Center for their ongoing Food Drive and to nine-year-old Deanna for bringing us books and pajamas for our kids. Our families who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy still have many needs. Please call us to see how you can help. The following items are needed to help these and other local families: • New or gently-used clothing for boys ages 10 and up • New twin and queen size sheets • Stage 3 diapers and baby wipes • Cake mix and icing for birthday bags • A computer hard drive • A twin bed and a dresser • DVD players • Microwaves and toaster ovens • Test strips for one of diabetic children Meet Leslie: Leslie is a 14-year old girl with stage IV brain cancer. Prior to her diagnosis, she was an extremely outgoing and active girl. She was a dancer and gymnast, and pursued modeling. She is now unable to walk. Twice a week, Leslie goes to Manhattan for treatments to try to slow the loss of leg function. She also travels all the way to Pittsburgh to receive a clinical trial for the rare form of cancer that has debilitated her. From her dance instructor to her elementary and middle school teachers, all who come into contact with Leslie and her family are immediately drawn to the inner and outer beauty of this young girl. Leslie’s mother has to carry Leslie everywhere around the home, and would greatly benefit from a wheelchair. Throughout the day, Leslie has multiple mini-seizures that leave her very frightened. Her only source of comfort through these episodes is the touch of her mother’s hand. If you can provide this family with a wheelchair, or if you can help with a financial contribution, contact: laura@emmanuelcancer.org, or telephone Laura at (201) 612-8118. You can help us in a variety of ways. Turn your event The Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River will present “Spiritual Direction: Is it for Me? on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 1 at 9:30 a.m. The program is open to anyone interested in deepening his or her spiritual life. The class will help address the questions: Where is God? Why is this happening? I’d like to get closer to God. What is the best path for my life? I’d like to learn a more meaningful way to pray. I’m overwhelmed and am having trouble moving on. I need to talk about a spiritual experience with someone who understands. Spiritual direction can help heighten awareness of God’s presence and grace operating in everyday life. Spiritual directors and those receiving spiritual direction will be present to share why this is such a meaningful experience for them. This program is sponsored by the Spiritual Direction Ministry. Spiritual direction program slated During the week of May 11 through 18, the Presentation will co-sponsor a directed retreat with Saint Paul’s Church of Ramsey. The retreat will begin and end with a group meeting on May 11 and 18 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Church of the Presentation, 271 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. At the first meeting, there will be a 15minute simulation of a spiritual direction session. During the week, Monday through Friday, each person will meet with his or her spiritual director privately for 30 minutes daily at a mutually convenient time. Participants will be asked to spend at least 30 minutes in prayer each day. There is no charge, but a freewill offering may be made at the concluding group meeting. For more information, or to register, contact Ruth Harrison at (551) 427-7440 or ruthharr@optonline.net by Monday, May 6.