2023
Healthy Steps Diaper Bank
It was an honor and a pleasure to work with Healthy Steps Diaper Bank! Our family has been a supporter of this worthwhile organization for many years. We launched a 30-day fundraising challenge on October 12, 2023, the day of the Diaper Bank’s 10th anniversary celebration, and ended it on November 12, John’s birthday. Between our Foundation donors and those of the Diaper Bank, we raised $1,625 to support their important community programs. We’ve since learned that, in 2023, the Diaper Bank distributed an average 53,000 diapers each month to 1,030 children and 5,300 period products to 250 individuals. We are proud to have been a part of their success.
Castaway Critters
When we decided we wanted to support a local organization involved in animal welfare, we didn’t know anything about Castaway Critters. We sure do now! This no-kill animal rescue group provides life-saving care for lost, sick and abandoned animals, including rescue, rehabilitation, adoptions and spay/neuter programs. In mid-November of 2022, we launched a fundraising campaign to help them pay the costs of providing those much-needed services.
Between the devoted supporters of Castaway Critters and our dedicated Foundation donors and our matching funds initiative, we were able to present the organization with a check for $3,650. We were happy to help out such a good cause, and we look forward to working with Castaway Critters again in the future!
Chief and Batman, two cats our donors helped
2022
Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg
This summer, we had the opportunity to support something new at the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg – an intensive arts education and instruction program led by Harrisburg-based artist and gallery owner Michelle Green. The nine-week program served more than 100 young people at the Club’s main office on Berryhill Street.
Our project funded the purchase of art supplies for the program. Funds totaling nearly $1,000 came in from donors to buy items such as canvases, acrylic paints, sketch pads, markers, colored pencils, various types of paper, and more.
The Boys & Girls Club is a vital hub for the surrounding community. John grew up in a neighborhood not far from the Club and always admired their mission to positively impact young lives.
Music at Melrose
This project connected two things that were meaningful to John – music and Melrose Elementary School, which he attended in the 1950s. As a young adult, John was part of several popular local bands. When he became a father, he was determined that his kids would know music history and the “good bands.” As for Melrose, he never missed an opportunity to share stories about his years there and the neighborhood gang. Some of his lifelong friendships began at Melrose.
We worked with the music teacher at Melrose to identify unfunded needs that could help support classroom instruction or music program needs.
After successfully raising nearly $1800, we were able to order a complete set of Orff instruments for music education and classroom instruction. National supply chain issues delayed shipment of the instrument set, but we were finally able to deliver it in March to the appreciative Mr. Stephen Kwong, Melrose Elementary School’s K-4th Grade Music Teacher.
2021
Caitlin’s Smiles
In honor of John’s 71st birthday, we kicked off a fundraiser to support a special organization: Caitlin’s Smiles.
The mission of this Harrisburg-based non-profit is:
To give children with life-threatening or chronic conditions a way to express their creativity
To make hospital stays and treatments less stressful for children and their families by providing them with engaging arts and crafts activities.
We are proud to share that between items purchased and shipped by our donors as well as cash donations, we were able to give this terrific organization $1,200 worth of items for their creative Kits for hospitalized kids.
Children at Boys and Girls Club showing off projects
The Orff instruments at Melrose
Mr. K unpacking the instruments
John’s daughter Ellie, with Skip from Caitlin’s Smiles
Salvation Army
We are pleased to have completed our first major fundraising project for the Foundation in May. With the help of many generous donors, we raised $2,603 to support the summer 2021 basketball mentorship program and youth activities at the Salvation Army’s Harrisburg, Pa., headquarters. In his adult years, John spent countless hours playing basketball at the SalVal gym when it was located on Green Street in Harrisburg. His “team” of rotating players over the years included fellow basketball lovers, longtime buddies, new friends, and – when John thought he was able to hang with the big dogs – his son, Christopher. It is our great privilege to honor John in this way.
