Community and Charitable Activities
admin August 17th, 2007
The Foundation’s charitable giving and volunteer activities are focused on comforting those suffering from cancer, furthering children’s causes and providing support for the arts. Recent activities include:
Music Program for Pediatric Hospital Patients
The Michael Manzella Foundation along with the nationally renowned Music Together® program, and Schneider Children’s Hospital of North Shore Long Island, have come together to bring music, joy and laughter to pediatric patients! The 45 minute weekly class is led by a wonderful singer who sings fun songs about animals, kids and nature along with introducing musical instruments like maracas and drums. There is dancing and valuable time with the caregivers which everyone loves! We are proud that this entire program will be funded by The Michael Manzella Foundation. In fact, the Foundation has committed to fund the program at the Hospital for the next three years.
Wish List at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
We are happy to announce that we fulfilled the toys and electronics on the “wish list” for the Child Life Center at Morgan Stanley Children’s of New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center located in Manhattan. The Foundation delivered over $1,500 worth of crafts, games, stickers and toys for children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. We bought portable CD and DVD players, music, coloring books, various toys, rattles, mobiles and so much more for the pediatric patients so that they would be able to have a little reprieve from their hospital routine and treatment. Mobiles, rattles, and baby gyms were given to the smallest of patients, while popular CDs and Playstation games were for the teens.
As many of you know, Michael received treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City during his struggle with cancer. MSKCC is a world-leading institution devoted to research, treatment and care of all types of cancer and boasts cutting-edge programs and renowned physicians. While it is tragic that Mike was not able to beat this horrible disease, he was fortunate to be a patient at MSKCC and have the most innovative and experimental treatments available. Not every person fighting cancer is lucky enough to have the same opportunity; however. The Michael Manzella Foundation is proud to announce a $20,000 grant to the MSKCC Pediatrics Patient Cancer Fund to assist a family who could not otherwise afford such vital patient care. In addition, the Foundation has also given $6,000 to support the Equipment Fund at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. This fund is essential to the maintenance of existing equipment as well as for acquiring new devices to help patients in the areas of diagnostics and treatment. For our contribution, a personalized plaque in Michael’s memory will be hung in the main hallway at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. This is a wonderful tribute to both Michael and to all of you who have donated to The Foundation in the past.
School Supplies for African Children
This year, the Foundation pledged $500 to assist with buying school supplies for children living in an orphanage in Ghana, Africa.
Support for Friends of Karen, Inc.
Friends of Karen, Inc. has served the New York metropolitan area for more than twenty-five years, supporting families affected by life threatening diseases with emotional and monetary assistance. The Foundation has given a grant to Friends of Karen’s “Adopt a Family” program which provides gifts to a family’s children. These presents range anyway from holidays gifts to school supplies for the start of new school year. Not only does the child who is battling an illness receive a present, but his/her sibling(s) as well. This organization focuses on the financial strain that affects all members of a family while trying to pay for patient care. It is a wonderful way to help these families carry on some of their routines and traditions during a time when their lives are dirupted.
Assistance for the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Schneider Children’s Hospital
The Foundation recently purchased two flat screen LCD televisions for the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Schneider Children’s Hospital of North Shore Hospital–Long Island Jewish Health System. The Center is renowned as one of the best in the nation for treatment of this terrible disease which still has no cure. Due to the Cystic Fibrosis patient’s high probability of acquiring and passing infection, toys are not permitted in the Center’s child waiting room. In the absence of toys, the televisions donated by the Foundation will allow the kids to watch their favorite shows and videos!
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