Local Philanthropists Join Together To Create A “Circle Of Giving”

Recipients At All Levels “Pay It Forward” By Giving Back To Their Communities

Westbury, NY, February 24, 2005 — Philanthropists from three local charitable organizations – the Harnisch Family Foundation, Partners In Giving and MPowering Kids – recently joined forces to create a “circle of giving” that has benefited needy students and sick children in local communities.

The circle began when students in the MPowering Kids program, a non-profit after-school program that provides tutoring, mentoring, and cultural enrichment for students in under-served communities, donated their time to make stuffed animals for distribution to hospitalized children. MPowering Kids’ students participate in community service events throughout the year as part of MPowering Kids’ “MPathy Program,” so that they can develop the lifelong habit of giving back to their community.

The stuffed animals were created for Partners In Giving, a not-for-profit organization that brings joy to terminally ill children in hospitals and care centers. Stacy Scheinberg, founder of Partners In Giving said, “The MPowering Kids’ students did a great job making stuffed animals for hospitalized children. The students had fun, while becoming more sensitive to children who are not as healthy as they are.”

Next, the circle was extended by the Harnisch Family Foundation, when they sponsored a fundraising raffle held by MPowering Kids. The raffle was one of MPowering Kids’ most important fundraising events of the year, and the Harnisch Family Foundation donated the grand prize that was the centerpiece of the raffle. Ruth Ann Harnisch, a national advocate of philanthropy and the founder of “Thrillionaires,” knows first-hand the thrill of giving and has been a supporter of MPowering Kids since the beginning. “We support MPowering Kids because they bolster academic achievement, while teaching the thrill of philanthropy throughout the nine years the students are in the program.”

Finally, the circle was completed by Ms. Scheinberg of Partners In Giving, who supported the MPowering Kids raffle by purchasing a number of tickets. Ms. Scheinberg's generosity helped ensure the success of the MPowering Kids fundraising event.

“The support provided by each organization has allowed all of us to expand the number of people that benefit from our services,” said Susan Marshall, founder and president of MPowering Kids. “By ‘paying it forward,’ we leverage our ability to give back to our respective communities, which means we all win.”

About MPowering Kids
MPowering Kids is a non-profit charitable organization that is "promising help for promising students"™ with after-school programs focused on tutoring, mentoring, and cultural enrichment in under-served communities. The MPowering Kids staff and volunteers work closely with students from their fourth grade year through their high school graduation, offering nine years of programs and opportunities to acquire the skills, habits and attitudes necessary to succeed in college and in life. For additional information, please visit the MPowering Kids web site at www.mpoweringkids.org.

About Partners In Giving
Partners In Giving is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to bring joy to terminally ill children in hospitals and care centers. Partners In Giving organizes festive parties for these children where popular personalities entertain. Using Partners In Giving’s network of local schools and museums, school kids make decorations and toys for these parties. Partners In Giving strives to bring happiness to the sick, while sensitizing the healthy to those less fortunate. For additional information about volunteering or coordinating a school event, please email partnersg@aol.com

The MPowering Kids program is made possible through the generous support of individual and corporate sponsors. For additional information about MPowering Kids, please visit the About Us section or visit the Donations page to help support MPowering Kids.

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