The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, in its 47th year, has awarded $547,375 to 20 non-profit organizations. These grants, determined during the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, held at the Radisson Hotel City Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, October 7, 2001, have been awarded to support worthwhile projects and disseminate information about them to the general public and specific target groups. The following is a brief summary of the grants awarded for 2002:
Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of Dallas, TX was awarded $11,315 for their project entitled “The Neuro-Oncology Family Manual.” This grant will create a detailed manual that will provide information explaining brain and spinal tumors, to include treatment plans of care, anticipated immediate and long term side effects, recognition procedures, resource information and patient support services.
Approximately 2,200 children are diagnosed with a tumor of the brain or spine in the United States each year. Brain tumors are the primary cause of cancer death in children under the age of 15 years. While it is devastating for families to be told that their child has a tumor of the central nervous system, providing them with information helps to educate and empower the family to support and advocate for their child, thereby relieving some of the expected anxiety.
Children’s Performance Workshops, Inc. of Virginia Beach, VA was awarded $20,000 for their project entitled “In Service Training Video: Go Ahead and Tell.” This grant will fund an in-service training video that prepares educators to deal properly with the delicate emotions and fragile mental stability of abused children.
The Children’s Performance Workshops’ (CPW) mission is to improve the quality of life for children by reducing the threat of child abuse. Since 1991, CPW has been performing the marionette production of “Knock, Knock..Who’s There?” for elementary schools reaching over two million children.
Erikson Institute for Child Development of Chicago, IL was awarded $20,000 for
their project entitled “Help for Children Coping with Violence.”
This grant will produce 9,000 copies of the publication “Let’s Talk
about Living in a World with Violence.” This activity workbook for school
age children combines reading, writing, drawing and discussion to restructure
thoughts and knowledge about violence in the child and provides opportunities
to practice non-violent behavior. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this
grant.
For the past 14 years, Erikson Institute has done extensive work – research,
education, and program development – to help children cope with the consequences
of violence and to learn non-violent ways of resolving conflicts.
Fetal Drug and Alcohol Program, Wake Forest University of Winston-Salem, NC was awarded $27,000 for their project entitled “Family-Friendly Information on Alcohol Related Birth Defects.” This grant will develop a comprehensive brochure on FAS/ARBD, written at an 8th grade reading level, aimed at providing information to families working with children that have difficulties related to maternal alcohol exposure.
Maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy has been linked to a wide range of cognitive, behavioral and psychological differences in offspring. Approximately 3,600 to 10,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year in the United States. While there are many good resources available for parents and teachers working with children diagnosed with FAS / ARBD, the current sources are often expensive, not easily accessible or difficult to read.
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders - IFFGD of North Andover, MA was awarded $41,300 for their project entitled “Digestive Health in Children-Education and Outreach Initiative.” This grant will produce four publications to educate parents and healthcare professionals about pediatric gastrointestinal motility and functional gastrointestinal disorders. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this grant.
Each year thousands of children, ages 0-16, are diagnosed with some type of gastrointestinal motility or functional gastrointestinal disorder. For children who suffer from symptoms associated with these disorders, early diagnosis is crucial. IFFGD strives to produce accurate, reliable and appropriate healthcare information. They serve as a critical conduit, facilitating the doctor-patient relationship.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of New York, NY was awarded $33,800 for their project entitled “At the Crossroads: The Challenge of Diabetes in the Teen Years.” This grant will produce 5,000 VHS copies of “At The Crossroads, a 10-minute video for teens with diabetes. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsor this grant.
The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation is the world’s leading nonprofit, nongovernmental funder of diabetes research. Founded in 1970 by parents of children with diabetes, JDF’s mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.
KUDDLE KIDS of Payson, UT was awarded $13,800 for their project entitled “Forever Families.” This grant will provide information on the Forever Family Program through information and “Forever Family” packets, checklists, a web site and a quarterly newsletter. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsor this grant.
KUDDLE KIDS Forever Family mission is the Preservation of Families, who have adopted children with emotional and behavioral problems due to severe neglect, abuse and abandonment prior to adoption. They are committed to providing financial assistance for therapy to adopted children who are at risk of being returned to state custody because their families lack resources to provide necessary therapeutic care.
LensCrafters Foundation (LCF) of Cincinnati, OH was awarded $30,000 for their project entitled “Arthur’s Eyes.” This grant will provide 30,000 personalized copies of the book “Arthur’s Eyes” to disadvantaged children under the age of eight years. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this grant.
Since 1996, LensCrafters Foundation has been a driving force changing lives of children in inner cities, rural outposts and Indian Reservations by providing free eye exams and new glasses to children who desperately need optical care, but cannot afford it. But delivering glasses is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting kids to wear them consistently and proudly is another story. It is important to let children know they can wear their glasses and still be accepted. This is the basis of our “Arthur’s Eyes Project.”
Mercy Medical Airlift of Virginia Beach, VA was awarded $38,000 for their project entitled “Child Patient Access to Distant Specialized Medical Treatment.” This grant will produce 120,000 educational brochures describing the charitable medical air transportation available for child patients and their families, develop a patient/parent oriented web site, and provide mailings to healthcare and community organizations. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this grant.
Mercy Medical Airlift is dedicated to serving people in situations of compelling human need through the provision of charitable air transportation. It’s mission is to facilitate a charitable means of long distance air transport for all medically indigent, low-income and financially vulnerable patients in our society, thereby ensuring equal access to specialized medical treatment.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children of Tustin, CA was awarded $16,000 for their project entitled “Coloring Book.” This grant will produce 115,000 “I Have A Right To Be Safe” coloring/activity books.
As the nation’s resource center for child protection, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) spearheads national efforts to locate and recover missing children and raises public awareness about ways to prevent child abduction, molestation, and sexual exploitation.
National Jewish Medical and Research Center of Denver, CO was awarded $40,000 for their project entitled “Celebration Broadcast Telethon.” This grant will assist in underwriting the 2002 Children’s Miracle Network Celebration Broadcast in Colorado. Forty percent of the funds raised through the telethon will benefit National Jewish Hospital and 60% raised will benefit Children’s Hospital. The Eight and Forty sponsors this grant.
National Jewish Medical and Research Center was founded in 1899 to care for tuberculosis victims from poor and working class families. Today, the scope has expanded to include all lung disorders, as well as allergic and immune system diseases. National Jewish provides approximately $10 million each year in free or heavily subsidized care.
The Alliance for Children’s Rights of Los Angeles, CA was awarded $22,500 for their project entitled “National Foster Children and Children in Poverty Information Campaign.” This grant will produce 20,000 pamphlets to inform and educate prospective foster parents, local foster care departments and juvenile courts on the staggering numbers of children in our nation’s foster care systems and the need to find foster children adoptive families.
The Alliance for Children’s Rights is a national nonprofit organization devoted solely to helping children in poverty and foster care situations. Their mission is to provide children with free legal services, referrals to social service agencies and perform as an information clearinghouse for at-risk children and families.
The Enterprise Foundation of Columbia, MD was awarded $18,500 for their project entitled “Youth Crime Prevention Manual.” This grant will produce and distribute 2,000 youth crime prevention manuals nationwide.
Crime, and fear of crime, now plagues our country’s fragile neighborhoods. To address these issues, the Enterprise Foundation, in partnership with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the National Association of School Resource Officers and the American Youth Policy Forum developed the Community Youth Justice Partnership. The goal is to support and create opportunities for youth to engage in crime prevention and community development activities.
The National Exchange Club Foundation of Toledo, OH was awarded $23,000 for their project entitled “National Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Campaign.” This grant will produce brochures, resource/promotion guides, public service announcements, and posters. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this grant.
According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, physical abuse is the leading cause of serious head injury in infants. The goal of the National Shaken Baby Syndrome Campaign is to educate individuals about the dangers of shaking children, and to reduce the incidents of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The National Exchange Club Foundation is committed to making a difference in the lives of children, families and communities through the prevention of child abuse.
The National Marfan Foundation, Inc. of Port Washington, NY was awarded $25,000 for their project entitled “Pediatric Sports Initiative Mailing.” This grant will provide and distribute 30,000 pediatric awareness and sports activity brochures aimed at the identification and treatment of children and teen with undiagnosed Marfan Syndrome.
The Marfan Syndrome, and related genetic disorders, affect an estimated 200,000 men and women of every race and ethnic group in the United States. A very tall stature and disproportionately long legs and arms often characterize the syndrome. In addition to the skeletal system, it also can affect the eyes, lungs, heart and blood vessels. The National Marfan Foundation was founded in 1981 to disseminate accurate information about this condition to parents, family members and the health care community.
SUNY College at Brockport of Brockport, NY was awarded $6,210 for their project entitled “Promotion of Camp Abilities: A Developmental Sports Camp for Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired.” This grant will develop a Camp Abilities web site that will include the etiology of visual impairments, instructional strategies, equipment modifications, resources and sport opportunities.
Since 1996, Camp Abilities, a one-week developmental sports camp for children who are blind, deafblind or multihandicapped has been operating in the summer at SUNY College. The camp has three goals – to empower children with sensory impairments to be physically active; to provide training to pre-service physical education teachers to prepare them to provide physical education activities for children with sensory impairment; and to conduct and share research results on teaching physical activity to children with visual impairments.
The Sturge-Weber Foundation of Mt. Freedom, NJ was awarded $12,800 for their project entitled “Guide to Living Well with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. This grant will produce 3,000 Sturge-Weber Syndrome guides to prepare affected children to be more effective advocates for themselves at school, in social relationships, and on the playground.
Founded in 1987, the Sturge-Weber Foundation is an organization for parents, professionals and others concerned with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. In 1992, their mission was expanded to also support and serve individuals with capillary vascular malformations. Their vision is to educate the public, empower the families and instigate research into the cause of these maladies.
Think First, National Injury Prevention Foundation of Rolling Meadows, IL was awarded $49,750 for their project entitled “Think First for Kids Curriculum Distribution.” This grant will produce 250 Injury Prevention Curriculum Packets. Each packet will reach 270 children, 67,500 children nationwide. The Sons of The American Legion sponsor this grant.
Injuries are the major cause of death and disability in young people. Research indicates that most injuries are preventable, if only basic safety precautions are followed. Think First, the National Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, is an award-winning public education effort targeting this high-risk age group. Their mission is to prevent brain, spinal cord and traumatic injuries through the education of individuals, community leaders and the creators of public policy.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) of Washington, DC was awarded $58,000 for their project entitled “TAPS Children’s Outreach Program: Caring for the Children of Those Who Have Died in Service to America.” This grant will produce written materials, fund a telephone hotline for teens dealing with trauma, and provide scholarships for surviving children to attend the TAPS Kids Camp. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsor this grant
TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) is America’s only nonprofit
veterans service organization chartered solely to assist the surviving families
of military members who have died while serving our nation. A significant part
of TAPS’ mission is to minister to the mental, emotional and spiritual
welfare of children who are a part of the military family and have suffered
the traumatic death of a parent.
WETA of Arlington, VA was awarded $40,400 for their project entitled “Helping
Hands: Promoting Success for Children with LD and/or ADHD in After School Programs.”
This grant will produce and distribute 100,000 Helping Hands brochures designed
to assist volunteers who work with children with learning disabilities. The
American Legion Auxiliary sponsor this grant.
Approximately 5-10% of all children have learning disabilities (LD) and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These children learn differently from other children – they often need things to be explained in different ways, or covered a second time, or illustrated with concrete examples. LD OnLine is the leading web site for parents and teachers of children with learning disabilities. Since 1996, the site has provided in-depth information, expert advice and extensive resources for parents and professionals.