During the United Fund's Torchlight Campaign, the Times Observer will help contributors take a look at the myriad ways the United Fund assists local agencies who, in turn, serve our entire community.
Childhood should be a time of having fun and being carefree. That is not always possible, especially when a child is diagnosed with a serious illness. Then childhood becomes a time of doctor's appointments, tests and searching for the ultimate treatment. Warren County families struggling with their child's health issues can turn to Caring For Life (CFL) for support.
As a donation funded non-profit organization, Caring For Life's mission is to help Warren County (Pennsylvania) families who have a child with a serious illness by providing care packages, medical expense reimbursement and emotional support. We want families to concentrate on what is important; their CHILD.
Normally the first contact a family or child has with CFL is to receive a care packages when a child is hospitalized in an emergency situation. Through the support of such local organizations and businesses as the Kiwanis Club, Northwest Savings Bank employees, United Refining, and First Church of God Bible School, CFL has been able to provide well-stocked care packages to dozens of local families over the years. The packages are full of necessities, which make the hospital stay more comfortable. (redundant with the first sentence?)
CFL may also reimburse families for the following items: prescription costs, physician/hospital co-pays, medical equipment and home health care. Traveling expenses for hospital stays and visits outside the Warren area including gas, parking, food, and lodging.
It is the main goal of CFL to relieve some of the emotional and financial stress that our families experience so that they can rightfully concentrate on their child's care, rather than mounting expenses.
Each year, the need for our services grows and happily, we have been able to accommodate that need. While it is hard to see children and their families suffer, we know that they are in great need of what CFL offers. So far, in 2012, CFL has reimbursed 39 different families $26,437. Since 2005, CFL has reimbursed families over $136,000.00. As a volunteer organization, we are proud to say that our funds go directly to our families.
CFL would not be able to offer all of our services to our families without the support of the community and the United Fund of Warren County. A donation to the United Fund helps support its partner agencies, all of which support Warren County. As the United Fund begins its annual Torchlight Campaign, your donation can "Help us help them Smile."