A Fine Time Was Had By All

The annual luncheon meeting of the Children's Enrichment Committee was a great success.

We were fortunate enough to have one of our scholarship winners in attendance. Loren Lozano is a rising sophomore at New York University, majoring in economics. She graciously thanked the CEC for the help we're providing.

Our guest speaker was Roxanne Mendoza Johnson, Director of Shelters at HONOR. She mentioned the great need for toiletries and clothing, and inspired our members to go through their closets when they got home and see what they could offer to help.

The raffle prizes were much coveted. Hannaford Supermarkets gave items for a spa basket. One of our most talented members donated beautiful hand knit items, and another a tower of paper and pens. The raffle raised over $170.00 for the CEC.

As always, the food at John's Harvest Inn was delicious and the setting warm and inviting.

All meetings should be so nice!

Gift Basket Raffles

For many years, the Children's Enrichment Committee has benefited from the generosity of John and Deb Botti, owners of John's Harvest Inn, in Middletown, NY.

The Bottis have a program called Dining To Make A Difference. Local non-profit organizations select a Sunday and the Bottis donate 10% of that day's proceeds as well as the proceeds from a gift basket raffle.

On May 13, the Bottis donated $400.00 to the CEC from Dining To Make A Difference. Their donation will go to help Orange County children in need.

The Children's Enrichment Committee Annual Luncheon will be held at John's Harvest Inn  at noon, on Tuesday, June 2. Hannaford Supermarket will be donating gifts for a Spa Basket to be raffled at the luncheon.

We hope to see you at the luncheon. There will be great food, great company, and a great chance to win a luxurious gift basket raffle!

May Is National Foster Care Month

On a beautiful spring day in May, it's hard to imagine the difficulties of being a child in the foster care system or the challenges of being a foster parents.

So perhaps it's especially appropriate that May is National Foster Care Month:

May is National Foster Care Month, a month set aside to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. During National Foster Care Month, we renew our commitment to ensuring a bright future for the nearly 400,000 children and youth in foster care, and we celebrate all those who make a meaningful difference in their lives.

The Children's Enrichment Committee takes special pride in our commitment to helping Orange County children in foster care. For over 100 years, the CEC has worked to brighten the lives of children in foster care, through holiday presents, financing summer camp stays, school trips, music lessons, college scholarships, and even emergency purchases of clothing.

We salute the foster parents, the family members, the child welfare professionals, and every one else who works to make the lives of these children and teenagers better and more promising.

And we thank you for your continuing support of the CEC in this most important work.

The CEC and Stewart's Shops = A Perfect Match

The members of the Children's Enrichment Committee are always looking for ways to help and to be of help. One day one of our members heard on TV about the Stewart's Shops program for helping non-profit organizations. She informed the CEC officers, who set about applying for a Stewart's Shops grant.

The first year, Stewart's Shops donated $750.00 from their annual Holiday Match program to the CEC. This past year, their donation was $1000.00, a substantial gift to our annual fundraiser.

Holiday Match is a program that started over 25 years ago to specifically benefit organizations/programs for kids under the age of 18 in the areas of social services, health, education, recreations, and the arts. To date, with the help of our customers, we have allocated nearly $19 million to our local communities. We collect in our shops from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Day. We match our customers’ donations dollar for dollar, with no administrative fees. In 2013, together we raised more than $1.34 million for over 1,440 organizations.  

Here's a bit more from Stewart's Shops about the organizations they support. The CEC fits perfectly into their criteria:

Our selection of organizations is based on the following considerations: We support organizations within our market area that focus on meeting the changing needs of their recipients rather than perpetuating the status quo. We have an interest in the area of kids, their recreation and education.. We value extensive volunteer support and minimum fund raising costs, avoiding organizations which are already tax supported or have a large amount of overhead... Our communities have more than enough specific needs, so we give to those providing a service, as opposed to those supporting a cause, and we save our contribution dollars for people versus animals. We support local organizations which may not have as broad a base of funding, or have the wide spread emotional appeal of national health organizations. 

The Children's Enrichment Committee exists to help Orange County children in need. We are a great example of a "We Live Here, We Give Here," organization.

It's wonderful to receive the recognition and support of Stewart's Shops, and the recognition and support of everyone else, whose donation of time or money, helps us make the lives of Orange County children just a little brighter.

We Give And We Receive

Every year in November and December, the Children's Enrichment Committee members keep busy purchasing holiday presents for Orange County children in foster care. This past December, we gave gifts to over 200 children.

Helping us was Boy Scout Troop 62 of Goshen, New York, which purchased 35 gifts for the older boys on our list. The troop was inspired by the memory of CEC member, Lois Krieger, beloved grandmother of one of the troop members. She had been one of our annual shoppers, and her altruism lives on.

In February we received a generous donation from Stewart's Shop, which will go a long way to purchasing presents for children 18 and under in the coming holiday season.

The CEC is also very fortunate that John Botti of John's Harvest Inn is one of our biggest supporters. On Sunday, April 19, he'll be giving a portion of all the money the restaurant makes that day to the CEC. So be sure to come in. You'll have a great meal in a charming restaurant, and the children of Orange County will benefit as well!

A Quick Quiz About The Children's Enrichment Committee

Here are ten True or False questions for you to answer about The Children's Enrichment Committee of Orange County, New York.

T/F The Children's Enrichment Committee (CEC) was begun with a donation from Anna Delano Hitch, Franklin Roosevelt's aunt.

T/F Anna Delano Hitch was the first woman member of the Lions Club.

T/F The organization used to set up Christmas trees in local banks, inviting people to knit gloves and mittens and hang them on the tree.

T/F Now the CEC gives holiday presents to over 100 children and teenagers in foster care in Orange County.

T/F A talented member of the CEC knit these beautiful outfits and toys as holiday presents.

T/F The CEC also helps pay for summer camp, music and dance lessons, and sports club fees.

T/F The Emily Akers Scholarship Fund, named for its first administrator, offers scholarships to Orange County students attending colleges and universities.

T/F One of the Emily Akers Scholarship Fund winners graduated college in three years, and the Fund helped her with her first year of law school.

T/F The CEC is an all volunteer organization and donations to it are tax-deductible.

T/F The CEC is always open to new members.

If you answered True to all ten questions, you were absolutely right.

There is nothing false about the Children's Enrichment Committee of Orange County, New York!