Christina Magel, Danielle Schwartz and Stephanie Ramirez at May 4 drive.
By Susan Magel
We often hear about raising money to help people in Africa, or more recently the food crisis in Haiti. What you may not know is that we have homeless and hungry people all around us right here on Long Island.
Christina Magel and Danielle Schwartz are eighth graders at Long Island School for the Gifted. They have set out to help children in need right here in our own back yard. They have been raising money and collecting items for Madonna Heights emergency homeless shelters for women and children. There are seven of these shelters throughout Long Island.
Through a message Christina left on the premier soccer community Web site, "back of the net" (botn.com), an anonymous person has donated a $10,000 matching grant for any funds donated.
On May 4th, Christina, Danielle, Stephanie Ramirez and Lauren Pabisch spent three hours asking Long Islanders in the area of Bagatelle Road and the LIE service road for donations. Long Island residents did not disappoint! Just under $600 was donated. With the matching grant, that equals $1200. But the girls are not done yet. They don't want the shelters to lose the match money.
On May 25th the girls will have another drive at St. Matthew’s Parish Center on Sunday, May 25, between 10:30 a.m. and noon, at 35 North Service Road, Dix Hills (Between Deer Park Ave and Carlls Straight Path).
You can help by donating items such as toddler clothing, diapers of any size, wipes, q-tips, etc. Or you can send a check.
For your donation to be counted towards the Matching Grant, please do the following: Make your check payable to Madonna Heights, and mail it to the law offices of:
Birnbaum & Skedelsky
Attorneys at Law
149-40 14th Ave.
Whitestone, NY 11357
(The reason the money goes to the law office is to track the funds so that the matching contribution can be made.)
There are no administrative fees attached to this Matching Grant so every penny you donate goes directly to services for these homeless women and children.
Let's help the girls help the homeless women and children right here on Long Island.
Susan Magel is Christina’s mom.