Chris Fitzgerald, a founder of the Smithtown Childrens Foundation, joined us on our first episode of Lenard Team Connections. She explains what the foundation is currently doing to assist families in Smithtown, and how you can support the community in this time of need.
Tell everyone who you are, what your role is, and how your day to day has changed in our current situation.
Chris Fitzgerald: I am one of the founders of the Smithtown Childrens Foundation. We began in 2008, to help a neighbor's daughter who was very sick. And with the other two ladies who were helping to raise funds for the family, we decided to start the Childrens Foundation. It wasn't intended, it just was organic. And here we are in 2020. We're still around, still trying to help our community.
Sadly, like everyone else, things have really come to a standstill.
But this virtual world makes it easier for people to connect, and to get our message across to people. We want to come out of the other side of this with the ability to still help local families in crisis.
Unfortunately, I fear we will have more have them after this with job losses, etc. So that's where we're really trying to make a difference, and we're going to have to get creative. There are still people who still have applications and people who want help.
What are some of the resources that you can provide Smithtown families?
If someone is in a crisis financially, or medically we want to be a resource. We want to help you pay bills, help you breathe a little easier to get through.
Over the years:
We've sent kids to camp.
We paid for two cars for an emancipated minor and a woman who was forced into a shelter with her children.
We paid for a part of a surgery for someone with very severe disease.
We helped a boy with disabilities get a guide dog.
We have scholarships in the school district.
We grant little wishes for kids, especially kids who were sick.
We adopt families during the holidays.
We're a resource for social workers.
The first thing we thought of when they were closing the schools is I hope the school district is coming up with a plan to feed these kids who are on the reduced and free lunch program. After speaking to the superintendent, they were on it. So then we started thinking, well, what about the other people who maybe aren't on that program?
With everything you do for the Smithtown community, how can residents give back and support the Foundation?
We have to get creative. We're trying to do an online auction setting that up. But in the meantime, on our website, people can donate right online. For people working in good jobs, corporate matching, your $100 donation can be $200.
When this first hit and I was stuck in the house, I thought I have to do something, I can't just sit here. The first thing I did is I created a Facebook group called Smithtown Strong SCF. I invited local businesses and restaurant tours, please post what you're doing what you're offering. If you've got takeout, if you're giving a discount if you're, you know, if you're providing free food for first responders and healthcare professionals, if you're an online business, post it there.
Additional ways to help right now:
Get involved in one of SCF’s fundraising events.
Donate blood with American Red Cross.
Donate Starbucks and Panera gift cards to Stony Brook Children's.
Donate hand sanitizer.
You can reach out to Smithtown Childrens Foundation to learn more, or contact us with additional questions.
