Kids Care Delivers!

The staff at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island's Valley Steam office helped Kids Care with very generous donations.

This past spring and early summer the Kids Care of the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation has worked very hard to raise funds and seek donations of school supplies for young foster children in Nassau County. They held bake sales and car washes and encouraged their congregation as well as the community of Garden City to support this worthwhile cause. Kids Care worked through the Nassau County Department of Social Services to determine the recipients of their efforts.

On Wednesday, August 22, 100 backpacks fully stuffed with a lunch box, pencil case, pencils, pens, erasers, pencil sharpeners, notebooks, folders, scissors, markers, crayons, colored pencils and glue were delivered to Social Services for distribution to the foster children. This is double the amount of backpacks Kids Care was able to distribute last year! Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of the Cathedral Congregation, donations for the people of Garden City and the big hearts of the Cathedral youth along with the guidance of the Cathedral clergy and staff.

Stacks and stacks of notebooks were donated by generous people in the community.

A very large amount of donations came from a company called Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island. This company is a practice of eye doctors who have offices in Lynbrook, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, East Meadow and Stony Brook. What is amazing is that the staff members of these offices donated hundreds of supplies to help Kids Care fill up the backpacks and reach the goal of 100 backpacks. Kids Care cannot thank these unbelievably generous people enough.

Kids Care next activity will be a Christmas Party for these foster children. They will be raising money and seeking donations to buy refreshments and gifts for these children. OCLI staff members helped last year by donating many new presents for the children. Kids Care is hoping to expand this party with the help of the Garden City community this year. For many of the children, these were the only presents they received for the holidays. Please think about helping Kids Care out in the next few months with their latest project. For further information about Kids Care, please contact the office of the Cathedral of the Incarnation at 746-2955 and speak to Deacon Connie Lorenz or Father Joseph Pae.

Jackie D'Aversa and Jennifer LeSueur, founders of Kids Care, busily packed the 100 backpacks.

Jackie and Jennifer pose with the 100 backpacks after they have been filled. The bags and bags of backpacks are delivered to Nassau County Social Services. Pictured are Father Joseph Pae, Jackie D'Aversa, Jennifer LeSueur, Lynn Campbell, Director of Volunteer Services, Deacon Connie Lorenz and Charles Janoff.