Friends of Karen

Friends of Karen’s 40th Birthday Celebration at Rye Playland

June 1, 2018 by The Inside Press

A perennial family-favorite outing during the summer is a trip to Rye Playland. Families can now combine fun with philanthropy when the park hosts Friends of Karen’s 40th Birthday Party on Saturday evening, June 9, at 5:30 p.m. The fun and festivities include a BBQ dinner overlooking the beautiful Long Island Sound, unlimited rides at “America’s Premier Playground,” fantastic entertainment, a gigantic birthday cake and lots of surprises.

It’s a fun way to celebrate the 40th Birthday of Friends of Karen, a lifeline to families caring for children battling cancer or another life-threatening illness. Tickets include dinner, unlimited rides all evening on the Playland attractions, a strolling magician, face-painting, a performance by the Lawless Band and much more.

Friends of Karen based in North Salem is the only non-profit organization in the New York Tri-State area that provides comprehensive support, at no cost, to over 300 families a month who are caring for a child battling cancer or another life-threatening illness. In the past four decades the organization has helped more than 15,000 children and families in the Tri-State area.

The non-profits team of social workers, child life specialists and creative arts therapists ensures that each family–and each family member–receives an individualized program of emotional, financial and advocacy assistance throughout their child’s illness.

The organization helps relieve the family’s everyday needs and concerns to improve their ability to cope with their child’s illness from diagnosis through treatment, which can last many months or even years.

Proceeds from the 40th Birthday Party will help relieve families of the financial hardship of huge medical bills, enormous travel costs for daily hospital visits, mounting expenses for housing, childcare, sibling support, and other necessities when facing a health crisis.

To purchase tickets, visit www.friendsofkaren.org or contact Gwen Salmo at 914 617-4051.

Friends of Karen School Supply Drive Helps Families With Children Battling Cancer

August 25, 2017 by Stacey Pfeffer

Friends of Karen volunteers packing school supplies for the back to school PHOTO BY Barbara Wilkov

While back to school shopping is in full swing for most families this time of year, it is a difficult time of year for families with children battling cancer, or another life-threatening illness. Friends of Karen, a Westchester-based non-profit helps support these families with their annual Back to School Program which collects new backpacks, notebooks, markers, pencils and gift cards and distributes them to more than 850 Friends of Karen children in the tri-state area so they can begin the new year happily and successfully.

Friends of Karen parents say how shattering it is to go into a store and see healthy children, so excited about the new year, choosing their school supplies while their own child is in the hospital, uncertain about what the next day will bring. Parents often agonize between buying new school supplies for their “well” child or paying their ill child’s mounting medical expenses.
New backpacks (for all ages) and $25 gift cards (to Target, Forever 21, Macy’s, The Gap, Old Navy, Visa/MasterCard) are in high demand for Friends of Karen families. Other school supply items such as three- ring binders, filler paper, composition books and Crayola washable markers are also needed. Donations are being accepted until September 15 and can be mailed to office headquarters at 118 Titicus Road in North Salem or dropped off there.

Friends of Karen helps families throughout N.Y., N.J .and CT. The organization is unique in that it customizes the assistance they provide. Realizing that a life-threatening illness of a child impacts the entire family, Friends of Karen social workers work with each family member offering an individualized program of emotional, financial and day-to-day practical support. For more information, visit www.friendsofkaren.org.