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Norton
Daisy Girl Scouts & Plaster Plus Team
Up for Bears on Board
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The Norton Daisy Girl Scout troop led by Sandra Ollerhead approached
the Council for Children to find ways in which the young troop could
volunteer with community organizations. The troop's first contribution
was to the Council's Bears on Board program.
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Plaster
Plus employee, Alexandra Doucette shows
the girls how the bears are made.
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On November 17th, the
Norton Daisy Girl Scout troop partnered with with Plaster Plus of North Attleboro
to stuff teddy bears from Bears2Go and donate them to
Bears on Board. The girls each made two teddy bears, one for themselves
and the other was donated to Bears on Board.
The teddy bear
donation was made possible through the generosity of Elle Struss, owner of Plaster Plus who
matched the troop's donation. Ellee noted that this
was a really fun evening for her and the girls and was a win-win
situation for the Daisy Scouts and the Council's Bears on Board
program. Employee,
Alexandra Doucette (photo at right) showed the girls how to build and stuff the bears with an
interesting hands-on exhibition. Once the girls got the
hang of it, they were off and running!
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The Council would like to thank the Girl
Scouts and Plaster Plus for their generosity!! You can visit Plaster
Plus' website at http://www.plaster-plus.com.
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The proud
Daisy Scouts show off their new teddy bears!
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Bears on Board places new
teddy bears in Police and Fire Vehicles, at Sturdy Memorial Hospital ER
and Pediatric Unit and Juvenile Court in all of Southeastern MA
offices. The new teddy bear is used by personnel to calm children who
are found in stressful and sometimes violent situations from motor
vehicle accidents, a hospital stay to proceedings at the various
Juvenile Courts in Southeastern Mass.
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Another
group of happy bears on their way to the Bears
on Board program!
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Plaster Plus is a fun place where kids of all ages can express
themselves and create masterpieces. Bring your family and
friends to Plaster Plus for a relaxing day of painting plaster pieces,
racing pinewood derby cars, or stuffing animals from Bears2Go. Your
child’s face will light up when they see the shine and glitter on
their new creations, racing their car down the track, and holding
their new animal that they have created.
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Christmas
is for Kids Program has a Home for 2009
Gift Drive
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The
former Brennan Middle School and Attleboro High School,
located at 135 County St. is this year's home for Christmas
is for Kids. Photo
courtesy of Flickr
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ATTLEBORO - Christmas Is For Kids has found a home, and the angel is the city and its school department.
In
response to a plea for help finding a place to hold its annual
Christmas gift drive, the Attleboro Area Council for Children announced
Friday that the city of Attleboro and the Attleboro School Department
have come to the rescue.
The drop-off center will be at the
former Brennan Middle School at 135 County St., which many Attleboro
area residents will recognize as the original Attleboro High School.
"We
are very grateful to the city and the school department for offering
this space," council for children President Kelly Fox said.
"Several
people and organizations stepped up to help, so we want to thank Mayor
Dumas and all of the realtors and churches and business owners
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who
tried to help us find space this year. It was a real challenge," she
said.
The space inside the building will allow for plenty of storage and
workroom, as well as security, Fox said.
Fox
added she will be working closely with volunteers and police to ensure
that traffic around the building runs as smoothly outside as she
believes things will run inside.
"We want to be good neighbors
to the folks living around the building, so we appreciate their
patience on those few days that will be particularly busy as we get to
the end of the drive."
Applications for the gift drive will be
available after Tuesday in local libraries, social service agencies and
YMCAs, as well as on the council's Web site www.councilforchildren.org.
Janette Boulay can be reached by phone or fax at 508-222-0993 or by e-mail at janette.boulay@gmail.com
Click here to go
to the Christmas is for Kids™ web site
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No
Room at the Inn for 'Kids?'Christmas Program Relies on Kind Hearts
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THE SUN CHRONICLE
- OPINION Tuesday, September 29, 2009 2:22 AM EDT
Kelly Fox of North Attleboro has 6,000 holiday gift wishes: Each
is one square foot of space. It's what will be needed, said the
overseer of Christmas is for Kids, to accommodate the bustle of the
annual drive. At least 6,000 square feet of room.
Can you answer her call?
Fox,
president of the Attleboro Area Council for Children Inc. which
sponsors the event and has no permanent residence, relies on the
kind-hearted to provide space for the donor center.
Brian
Germain, owner of Germain Plumbing and Heating, last year offered up 64
Water St. in Attleboro. But new digs - secure, preferably with free
parking - are needed this year.
In 2008 Christmas is for Kids
served 753 area children. This year, it expects requests from 900 since
Norton residents will become eligible. The gift drive needs a home, and
needs it soon.
It's easy to presume that everyone living here
recognizes the name Christmas is for Kids. After all, it's been a
program of the council for children for 26 years.
But for newcomers, an explanation: It's an all-volunteer-run
gift-giving program that assists children who would otherwise go
without on Christmas Day. There is no paid staff. The council pays for
costs such as printing, postage and phone expenses.
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All monetary donations are used in their entirety for gifts for these children.
Thanks
to the efforts of those who helped start the drive and those who
continue to organize and support it, upwards of 20,000 area children
have received gifts at Christmastime when they otherwise might have
gone without.
The drive, which taps into hundreds of volunteers
known as elves, was started when David Kane and Marilyn Godfrey teamed
up to see that every child in need received a gift. Recipients may
include those on public assistance but also the "working poor" and
families experiencing medical or emotional hardships.
Today's
uncertain economic climate has put financial strain on many working
people. So although many people are working, as the council points out,
the high cost of living, rent, utilities and food heavily siphon
income. It takes only a lost job or a medical emergency to turn life
upside down, leaving precious little for gifts for children.
Someone
out there has space sufficient to meet the needs this year of Christmas
is for Kids which will soon put out the call for volunteers and for
donations. Is it you?
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Council
for Children Honors Champions
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BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE Monday, March 23, 2009 2:18 AM EDT
The Attleboro Area Council for Children
recently held its annual Champion for Children dinner and recognition
event at Leona's restaurant in Plainville. Those honored, included,
from left, Nancy Young, Sarah Scales, Kristen Mahoney, Brian Germain,
Lisa Jessick, Beth Fies, Donny Achin and Sarah Achin.
Group recognizes many who have made positive difference for youngsters
ATTLEBORO - Throughout the year, the volunteers who make up the
Attleboro Area Council for Children strive to better the lives of area
youngsters who could use a helping hand.
Recently, those
volunteers took time out to focus on some area adults, and even
youngsters, who have helped the council to help those children.
It
all took place at the Council's annual Champions for Children dinner
and recognition event at Leona's restaurant in Plainville.
The Champion for Children Honorees as noted by Council for Children President Kelly Fox were as follows:
Sarah
and Donny Achin of Achin's Garage in North Attleboro, for organizing a
toy drive for Christmas Is For Kids at the Community School, which
brought in a truckload of toys and a cash donation.
Nancy Young, owner of Attleboro Jewelry
Makers, was honored for her help over the years as a supporter of the
Council and for donating space for the 2007 Christmas Is For Kids
drive. As noted by Fox, Young also was recognized "for her commitment
to helping children in Attleboro in ways that most people don't know
about, such as mentoring more than 30 teens over the years, often times
helping them get into college."
Brian
Germain, the owner of Germain Plumbing, was recognized for donating
space to the 2008 Christmas Is For Kids drive as well as for
contributing to the drive. |
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According
to Fox, Dream Dinners and its guests raised hundreds of dollars to
sponsor one particularly hard-hit family in 2008 by giving them a
pantry make-over and enough cash to buy a new refrigerator, and Jessick
and Fies also brought lunch to the elves during Christmas Is For Kids,
did a hat-and-mitten drive for the program, sponsored some of the
children on the drive and also have helped with the council's Happy
Birthday Backpack program.
The Greater Attleboro Leo Club, based
at Attleboro High School, was recognized for making 75 stockings each
year for the Christmas Is For Kids children, and for providing hope for
tomorrow, according to Fox, who said, "If you ever need reassurance
that we're leaving the world in good hands, you need to meet these
students. These teens are wonderful!"
Sheila McKenna of
Attleboro, although not able to attend, was recognized for having led a
book drive through her Bridgewater State College alumni association and
collected more than 400 books for the Council.
Borders Books in
North Attleboro and in Mansfield, and the Children's Place at Emerald
Square mall on Route 1 in North Attelboro.
Although these three
retailers also were not present, they were recognized for their support
of the Christmas Is For Kids drive. Borders Books in North Attleboro
and in Mansfield each collected more than 1,000 books for the drive,
and The Children's Place at Emerald Square mall, came to the rescue
during the last few days of the drive as volunteers scrambled to make
sure that all of the children had clothes.
"The employees at all
three stores were incredibly helpful and patient, really trying to be
sure that we had exactly the right item for each child," Fox said.
"We have found wonderful partners at each location and look forward to working with them going forward."
The Council for Children's board of directors includes Debra Mark, Anne
Bibeault, Sandra Newfield, Deborah Hegarty, Dave Kane, Alan Goldberg,
Laura Dolan, Meredith Brooks, Karen Reimels, Judy Romero, Liz Cochrane
and Nancy Monroe.
The council invites others to join as well, noting that it meets the third Monday evening of each month. To volunteer, visit councilforchildren.org
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Attleboro Area
Council for Children, Inc.
4 Hodges St,
Attleboro, MA
02703
Phone: 508-226-2336 E-Mail: kelly@councilforchildren.org
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