You Can Give Hope for the Holidays

star athlete Danny today

Old Man Winter has arrived with a blast, highways are clogged with cars and the malls are buzzing with shoppers -- the holiday season is here! As the season of giving is in full swing, please consider joining Children's Aid and Family Services in supporting the many vulnerable children and families from local communities around northern New Jersey in need.

This year's holiday fundraising appeal, "The Ripple Effect," should have arrived in your mailbox by now. It tells the story of the Burkes, who have spent most of their lives helping vulnerable foster children. Ted and Marsha Burke first met while working as counselors at a group home for foster children when they were in college. As time went on, Ted began a career in the private sector and Marsha, a teacher, became a volunteer to help infants born with AIDS. They eventually learned of Children's Aid and Family Services' need for loving foster and adoptive families, and became a foster family, caring for medically needy infants. They went on to adopt their first foster infant, Danny, who was born with developmental delays but has blossomed into a star athlete with the help of the Burkes' nurturing care. As Marsha Burke said, "We didn't do this alone: it takes a lot of dedicated people, time and money to give children like Danny a chance."

Children like Danny succeed thanks to your support. But the agency needs your help to ensure other vulnerable children receive the same chance to fulfill their potential. And this year, we need your support more than ever to help local infants, children and teenagers without families of their own; seniors trying mightily to pay for their medicine and keep food on the table; and hardworking families struggling to get by and provide the basics to their children.

You can donate online today by visiting www.cafsnj.org and click the "donate online" button. Thank you for your support and commitment to helping some of the most vulnerable in our community.

For more information about the agency or any of our holiday programs, please contact Madinah Grier, vice president of Development and Communications, at 201-261-2800.