Kids for Kids
"We just want to say thank you to all of the amazing brands and people that have stepped up to help accomplish our mission of feeding first responders in this time of need," said Catalano.
NEW YORK (PRWEB) May 08, 2020
In the continued battle against COVID-19, local NYC nonprofit Kids for Kids Foundation has expanded its focus to supporting hospitals and first responders throughout all five boroughs, several facilities in New Jersey, and will be heading to Long Island next!
The Kids for Kids Foundation traditionally hosts fundraising events to support their beneficiaries and continue their mission of raising money for children and families struggling with medical challenges. With events put on hold, the organization’s members and staff jumped into action launching their Feeding First Responders initiative.
They recruited their generous donors to take on a new way to support the men and women on the front lines and the overwhelming response is truly inspiring.
Several members of the Kids for Kids Board and Committee, especially Paul Lombardozzi, Vice Chair of Events, have stepped up to lead this initiative, which kicked off its start on Sunday, April 12th. “Sitting on the sidelines is not something that Kids for Kids knows how to do,” shared Kids for Kids Development & Events Manager, Suzanne Karath, who is currently coordinating the locations visited alongside members of her team. Karath alludes to the mentality of Kids for Kids, its members, and its mission in saying, “All challenges are opportunities for us to unite and support our communities. We aim to tie our communities into all we do—whether through events, our Committee, or our Junior Committee, bringing people together and helping others is what gives us purpose.”
Monday, May 4th marked the beginning of Week Four of the Feeding First Responders initiative, and just last Thursday, through the support of their donors and local restaurants, Kids for Kids celebrated surpassing a 10,000-meals-delivered milestone! "We just want to say thank you to all of the amazing brands and people that have stepped up to help accomplish our mission of feeding first responders in this time of need," said Robert Catalano, Kids for Kids Founder and Board Chair. "The fact that we can do this with the best products in their respective brands is beyond what I ever could have imagined. It's our hope that, through these efforts, we are able to provide some relief and a sense of normalcy during these challenging times."
Kids for Kids has partnered with OWYN (Only What You Need) plant-based protein drinks to supplement meal deliveries over the past 3 weeks and will continue sharing their products at locations scheduled for the coming weeks. Also working with local restaurants and through personal contacts, Kids for Kids will be teaming up with New York City’s most exclusive restaurant – Rao’s! “We are excited to work with Rao’s outside of the fundraising we do with them regularly in the year and get their dishes into the hands of as many heroes we can” shared Karath when looking ahead to the next deliveries in the schedule.
A new relationship with Dough Doughnuts, kicked off last Wednesday at Elmhurst Hospital in which Dough provided their delicious doughnuts, Kids for Kids assisted with handing out OWYN drinks and Birch Coffee joined in the day supplying coffee through NY Loves Coffee – masks could not hide the smiles of Elmhurst’s staff! This visit coincided with Noshes For Nurses, GoFundMe driven support effort started by Real Housewives of New York’s Jill Zarin. Kids for Kids will team up again with the doughnuts and coffee duo for a visit to Paterson, NJ with a friend of the foundation, Dolores Catania of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Dolores has supported Kids for Kids’ mission through events like their Winter Ball at the Oheka Castle and the organization is proud to now return the favor by providing meals to two special locations, St. Joseph’s Medical Center and the Paterson Police Department.
Feeding First Responders has a packed schedule of deliveries to Hospitals, EMS Stations, Police Precincts, Fire Houses, Sanitation Garages, Bus Depots, and more—all of the amazing people within these essential roles are true heroes. “We are all truly in this together and providing meals to keep the front lines going, hopefully providing a bit of a morale boost too, is the very least we can do,” shared Karath. She and the Kids for Kids team, partners, and supporters hope this initiative communicates the strongest message possible of the support and gratitude that affected communities have for those on the front lines.
To learn more about the Kids for Kids Foundation and this initiative, visit http://www.kidsforkidsnyc.org and follow their entire team on their delivery routes on social media @kidsforkidsnyc.
Want to join this effort, contact the Kids for Kids Foundation at 212-365-5800 or donations@kidsforkidsnyc.org or donate to this initiative at http://www.kidsforkidsnyc.org/feedingthefrontlines