A Local Nonprofit for Critically Ill Children in Westchester Celebrates Anniversary Gala

Cheers to 40 years of Friends of Karen.

Judith Factor says she hopes you never need to know Friends of Karen, the nonprofit with local ties that provides emotional, financial, and advocacy support for critically ill children and their families. However, for families who are faced with the horrible experience of having a critically sick child, Friends of Karen can be a tremendous resource.

With locations in North Salem, Long Island, and NYC, Friends of Karen has supported 15,000 children in its 40 years of service. In 2017 alone, the nonprofit helped 1,532 children. This year, the nonprofit will host a 40th anniversary gala on November 2 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers to celebrate the impact of its work.

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Judith Factor, executive director of Friends of Karen, says, “Milestones like Friends of Karen’s 40th anniversary make me believe that when you stay true to a clear and compassionate mission, you can have a profound impact on peoples’ lives.” She continues, “What started as a friend’s act of kindness helping her neighbors care for their critically ill child has become an enduring institution that has supported more than 15,500 children and their families.”

The nonprofit aims to help make a family’s life as normal as possible during what can be the worst time of their lives. Friends of Karen helps families and their ill children with medical bills, travel costs, and basic living expenses. The nonprofit understands the impact a child’s sickness can have on the whole family and offers assistance with childcare expenses to help care for siblings. Social workers, creative-arts therapists, and child-life specialists work with not only the sick child, but also the child’s siblings and parents to help the whole family cope.

Factor says, “I am so proud to be part of an amazing team of professionals and countless volunteers who work selflessly day in and day out to ensure that no family has to face their child’s life-threatening illness alone.”

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For more information regarding the anniversary celebration or to reserve tickets, click here

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