July is National Make a Difference to Children Month

July is National Make a Difference to Children Month
But the caring volunteers of the HUGS and HOPE Foundation make a difference every day

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Take a minute to influence the life of a child and Make a Difference - one smile at a time!
Do you love to hear kids laugh and see them smile? Critically ill children often have little to be happy about, but you can easily make a difference for kids with serious illnesses, injuries, or handicaps. If you can lick a postage stamp and drop a card in the mail, you can be part of a nation wide effort to put more joy into the lives of children in pain

We can't take their pain away; but we can help make life a little more tolerable by sending a cheery card and a little love to children battling life-threatening conditions. The HUGS and HOPE Foundation, a nonprofit charity created by a disabled grandmother after her grandson was badly burned, touches the lives of hundreds of kids across the country.

On the HUGS and HOPE web site (www.hugsandhope.org) you can read stories and view photos of kids who need a little extra TLC to help them get through surgeries, hospitalizations, and endless medical tests.Visitors to the site are asked to mail cheery cards and small gifts to each sick child and notes of encouragement to the parents. This web site will inspire you to help critically ill children and their families not just on Make a Difference Day, but everyday.
"We like to remind the children that they are cared about and they are special," says Marsha Jordan, who founded the group in 2000. We want to help these kids forget, for at least a little while, that they're fighting for their lives. "We call the cards and packages we send "happy mail" because we hope they put smiles on the kid's faces.

Jordan was recently interviewed on the By, For, and About Women radio show (www.byforandaboutwomen.com/marshajordan.htm ) Listen to the interview to learn more about HUGS and HOPE.

"Anyone can help," says Jordan. "You don't have to perform life-saving surgery or deliver cancer-killing chemotherapy. All you need is a heart of compassion. Whatever your age or ability, you can make a difference in the life of a sick child." Sending happy mail is a great family project, teaching kids compassion for those less fortunate than themselves and providing quality family time to boot. And all it costs is the price of a postage stamp.

Jordan is available for interviews. Call 715-282-7271 or email hugsandhope@gmail.com .

Those wanting to learn more about the HUGS and HOPE program are encouraged to visit the website at http://www.hugsandhope.org.