Monthly E-newsletter January 2015

Thank you for your continued support of PEI Kids! We have exciting news for you this month.

Holiday Toy Drive Brings Joy To Children!

Top: (left) PEI Kids Board Member Lisa Festa Hayden (center) pictured with Roz Dashiell and Jesse Elliot, delivers toys collected by West Windsor Plainsboro school district students; (right) PEI Kids' Roz Dashiell (l) shown with Danielle Gletow (r), Founder/Executive Director of One Simple Wish, displaying new coats requested for Trenton school children.

Center: Nottingham Insurance Agency donates toys collected by their staff; pictured (l to r) are Greg Blair, Martina Davidson, Janet Eglke and Roz Dashiell.

Bottom: (left) MLK Jr. Elementary School Parent Liaison, Eunice Perez, selects from coats provided by PEI Kids and One Simple Wish, 70 new coats were given to students in need; (right) Over 80 new, donated toys were given to children in PEI Kids foster-care and counseling programs last month!

This holiday season, we had the privilege of putting smiles on the faces of many boys and girls thanks to the kind gifts provided by donors, community partners, and businesses. Thank you to Nottingham Insurance Agency; One Simple Wish; PEI Kids Board Member Lisa Festa Hayden and West Windsor-Plainsboro School District; PEI Kids Board Member Joseph Blaney and Skip's Candy Corner; PEI Kids Board Members Jane Lowe-Rodriguez and Carol Budd; and everyone who donated gifts over the holiday season.

"It was a privilege to witness the remarkable outpouring of love and caring generosity that enables us to touch the lives of so many children this season," says Roslyn Dashiell, Executive Director.

Are We There Yet?

Thanks to your support, we are more than halfway to our annual appeal goal of $23,000. As we embark on a new year and our 30^th year of service to the Mercer County community, we need your continued support to reach our goal. It's not too late to donate to our holiday appeal; which will continue through January 31st. Every dollar supports our mission to promote and maintain a safe environment for all children

To donate to our holiday appeal, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Jesse Elliot at 609-695-3739 or [email protected].

Support Services Ends 2014 on High Note

PEI Kids' Supervised Visitation and Transportation Plus programs provide support services for children in foster care and their families. In 2014, the Transportation Plus program provided 4,377 hours (34,391 miles) of transportation services to children and families in the Mercer County area. This is a record level of service with a 15% increase over 2013. Additionally, the Supervised Visitation program coordinated 1,625 visits between children in foster care and their biological families.

"This year we were really able to see the impact we have on some of these families. Maintaining that bond between the biological family and child has been instrumental in keeping the family unit connected. I love being able to see how we can create success stories with in these families with just a few hours a week" says Carmen Ailcea, Supervise Visitation Coordinator.

PEI Kids' Support Services team is dedicated to helping families with children in foster care maintain healthy family bonds. To learn more about Support Services please click here or contact Terry McMonagle at [email protected].

Make A Resolution to Get Involved!

Are you looking for a way to give back to the community in 2015? Look no further! Whether you are looking to help with event planning, office assistance, or one-time help with a fundraising event or mailing, your support of PEI Kids can be a fulfilling experience and a chance to make a significant impact in our community.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jesse Elliot at [email protected] or 609-695-3739. You can also join the PEI Kids' Volunteer Group page on Facebook for updates on volunteer opportunities.

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