Ronald McDonald House Charities of N.E.O. Awards Grants
Friday, May 28, 2010
Seven (7) Area Non-Profit Organizations Are Awarded Grant Funds by RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES® OF NORTHESTERN OHIO, INC.
Cleveland, OH, May 28, 2010 — The Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeastern Ohio, Inc., (RMHC-NEO) recently awarded grants in the amount of $80,185.08 to seven (7) area non-profit organizations whose services are provided to children.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeastern Ohio, Inc., established in 1987 by local McDonald’s Owner/Operators, has awarded more than $7.2 Million to children's programs across Northeast Ohio, including ongoing financial support of the Ronald McDonald Houses in Akron and Cleveland and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® program.
· Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center in Cleveland, received grant funds to purchase items and equipment to support the Early Childhood & Youth Services Program. The mission of Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center is to promote positive outcomes that improve the quality of life for youth, adults, families and seniors through comprehensive neighborhood-based services. This grant application was endorsed by McDonald's Owner/Operator Turan Strange, owner of several McDonald’s restaurants Cleveland.
· DDC Clinic for Special Needs Children, located in Middlefield, was awarded grant funds to purchase items and equipment used in their Children & Youth Dental Program. DDC Clinic for Special Needs Children is a non-profit primary care and research facility for people with special needs caused by rare genetic disorders and serves the Amish and non-Amish children and families. This grant application was endorsed by McDonald's Owner/Operator Meloney Karos, owner of several McDonald’s restaurants in the Greater Cleveland area.
· Ronald McDonald House of Akron was awarded funds to support their annual golf outing.
· Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland received grant funds to support their annual golf outing and to support their annual fashion show.
· Shoes & Clothes for Kids, Inc. located in Cleveland, was awarded grant funds to purchase shoe gift cards for disadvantaged children in Greater Cleveland. SC4K is the only non-profit organization in Greater Cleveland providing new shoes and clothes to thousands of children in need at no charge throughout the year. Through a network of 35 distribution partners, SC4K positively impacts the lives of area children by giving them the self-esteem and confidence that comes from having brand new shoes and clothes. This grant application was endorsed by McDonald's Owner/Operator Margo Karos, owner of several McDonald’s Restaurants in Greater Cleveland.
· Speech, Hearing & Rehabilitation Center located in Ashtabula, was awarded grant funds to purchase equipment and items to support their Early Education Program and Playground Improvement Project. The Speech, Hearing and Rehabilitation Center is a private, non-profit agency that is dedicated to serving both children and adults who suffer from communication or developmental delays and disorders.
Through programs of speech therapy, audiology, occupational therapy, developmental preschool and community outreach and education, the Center assists its clients in reaching their maximum potential. This grant application was endorsed by McDonald's Owner/Operator Allen D. Smith, owner of McDonald’s Restaurants in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula Counties.
· UNCF/The College Fund was awarded funds to support their annual golf outing.
RMHC-NEO’s mission is to support the Ronald McDonald House® programs in Akron and Cleveland and help children by awarding grants to qualified not-for-profit organizations whose programs improve the quality of life for children and their families in Northeastern Ohio. Founded in memory of McDonald’s founder, Ray Kroc, RMHC-NEO awards grants to organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt status whose programs benefit children in the areas of health care, medical research, education, the arts, and civic and social service.
Since the chapter formed in 1987, more than $7.2 Million has been awarded to children's programs across Northeast Ohio, including ongoing financial support of the Ronald McDonald Houses in Akron and Cleveland and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®. Grant requests are considered for tax-exempt organizations within the 20 county area represented by McDonald's Restaurant Owner/Operators in Northeast Ohio. The Board of Directors meets three times a year to award funding. Grant application deadlines are early April, early August and early December. For more information, contact Ann Newman, Executive Director, at 216-986-0855, at email Director@rmhc-neo.org or visit the web site at http://rmhc-neo.org.
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SC4K Earns Fourth Consecutive 4-Star Rating From Charity Navigator
Friday, April 23, 2010
Shoes and Clothes for Kids Receives 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for Fourth Consecutive Year
(CLEVELAND), April 20, 2010 –
Shoes and Clothes for Kids is proud to announce that it has earned the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities, for the fourth consecutive year. This honor is achieved by only 8% of the nation's charities.
Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that SC4K excels, as compared to other charities in America, in successfully managing the finances of the organization in an efficient and effective manner. According to the letter received from Ken Berger, President and CEO, Charity Navigator, “Shoes and Clothes for Kids consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America. This “exceptional” designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Shoes and Clothes for Kids from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”
In addition to receiving a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, SC4K is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, meeting all twenty of the BBB’s standards for Charity accountability. Of every dollar donated to Shoes and Clothes for Kids, $0.92 goes directly to the programs and services that benefit the children served.
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Shoes and Clothes for Kids and Moxie, the Restaurant Host 3rd Annual Fool’s Frolic Fund-raiser
Friday, January 29, 2010
WHAT: Fool’s Frolic, an evening of foolishly good fun to benefit Shoes and Clothes for Kids hosted by Moxie, the Restaurant.
WHEN: Thursday, April 15, 2010, VIP Reception 5:30–6:30 p.m., 6:30–9:30
p.m. Event
WHERE: Moxie, the Restaurant - 3355 Richmond Rd., Beachwood, OH 44122
FEATURES: Frolic with SC4K on Tax Day! Go directly to Moxie to take a ride on the “Fool’s Frolic” railroad. This one-of-a-kind Monopoly-themed adventure includes fine fare, libations and live entertainment with food stops along the way at Mediterranean Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Oriental Avenue, and of course a stroll on the Boardwalk. The menu features a variety of decadent food creations by Moxie that will delight your taste buds. Plus, VIPs will be treated to New York Avenue delights including caviar, oysters and lobster while sipping on martinis.
Raffle grand prize is a trip to South Beach to experience the Red The Steakhouse restaurant. Includes round-trip airfare for two, courtesy of Continental Airlines, and a two-night stay at the luxurious, Eden Roc, a Renaissance beach resort and spa, among other fabulous prizes. Raffle tickets are $50 each or 3 for $100. Winner need not be present.
TICKETS: Admission is $100 per person ($48 tax-deductible) or $150 per person for VIP ($98 tax-deductible). VIP includes exclusive pre-event food tasting, entertainment and martini bar. Event and raffle tickets can be reserved by calling Shoes and Clothes for Kids at 216.881.7463, ext. 4 by Friday, April 9th. Space is limited. All guests will receive complimentary valet parking. Sponsorships are available, call 216.881.7463 x. 4 for more information.
SPONSORS: Deal-Makers: Fairmount Minerals and Forest City Enterprises
Hoteliers: Huntington, Glenmede and Strassman Insurance
Proprietors: Melamed Communications
Shoes and Clothes for Kids Announces the Election of Officers and New Members
Monday, January 11, 2010
The following individuals were elected as officers for Shoes and Clothes for Kids for 2010:
- Chair – Terence J. Uhl, Executive Vice President, Landau Public Relations
- Chair Emeritus – Allan C. Krulak, Vice President and Director of Community Affairs, Forest City Enterprises
- Life Director – vic gelb, vgi inc.
- Life Director – Rockette L. Richardson, Vice President/Director of Community Investment, Charter One Bank
- Vice Chair - William R. Joseph, Partner, Weston Hurd
- Secretary – Stephanie McHenry, President-Cleveland Region, ShoreBank
- Treasurer – A. Lamont Mackley, General Manager, Another Level Resources
Shoes and Clothes for Kids elected the following individuals to serve a three year term on the Board of Directors beginning in January, 2010:
- J. Stefan Holmes – Senior Vice President and Public Funds Officer, First Merit Bank
- Darrin M. Redus, Sr. – Chief Economic Inclusion Officer/President, Jump Start Inc.
- Hallie Rich – Senior Consultant, BrownFlynn
- Karla M. Rogers – Partner, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
- Tracy A. Turoff – Senior Associate Attorney, Roetzel & Andress
- Eric Von Hendrix – President, MWV Pinnacle Management Company
- Michael Zitzelsberger, Jr. – District Plant Engineering Manager-Ohio District, UPS
Holiday Donations to SC4K Help Area Children
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Many area companies and organizations are giving back to the Greater Cleveland community this holiday by making generous in-kind and financial contributions to Shoes and Clothes for Kids or volunteering in our warehouse.
The employees at Hyland Software in Westlake collected over 150 pairs of brand-new children's shoes or boots and socks at their holiday party this year. Hyland has donated shoes to SC4K for several years in a row.
Consumer's Life Insurance Company, a division of Medical Mutual, made a surprise holiday donation of $1,500 to SC4K.
Melamed Riley Advertising gave SC4K a surprise $1,000 donation in lieu of sending holiday gifts to their clients this year. The creative team that works on our annual Back to School advertising campaign presented SC4K with a giant holiday card just like the smaller ones they sent to clients to inform them of their support of SC4K.
Light of Hearts Villa, a senior residential facility in Bedford, had a holiday party and staff collected donations of winter accessories from family members of residents to donate to SC4K. The Happy Hookers Knitting Club in Beachwood knitted 25 warm winter cap and scarf sets for children. Several other groups, like The Plain Dealer and New Clevelanders, also collected new children's clothing, shoes or holiday gifts to donate to SC4K this winter.
On December 18, over 50 high school students and teachers from St. Ignatius in Cleveland and Cornerstone Christian Academy in Mentor volunteered at our warehouse. The group of volunteers counted and packed items from our recent purchase of new clothing to be ready for distribution next year. The students were very energetic and accomplished a lot in their half-day of service.
In addition to our normal distribution of Payless shoe gift cards, Shoes and Clothes for Kids also participated in the 2009 Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids Program, a grass roots campaign to deliver $1.2 million in free shoes to children of families in need. SC4K received a donation of 200 Payless gift cards to distribute this holiday season. SC4K gave the gift cards to children in the permanent custody of Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services, with help of our friends (and neighbors) at the Adoption Network of Cleveland. The county's foster children were delighted to receive the cards and the hope of new shoes to wear this winter.
We thank these and all of our generous supporters, for helping SC4K end our 40th anniversary year in a special way.
SC4K and UPS Team up for Annual “Care Day” to Deliver Shoes and Clothes
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Shoes and Clothes for Kids distributes new children’s clothing and Payless gift cards through a network of partners, which include selected sites from the Boys and Girls Clubs, Neighborhood Centers Association, West Side Ecumenical Ministry and Pastors in Mission Churches. Every other month, partner sites stretch their limited resources to pick up clothing items from the SC4K warehouse to distribute to children served by their organizations.
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, SC4K, with the generous support of UPS vehicles and volunteers, rewarded our distribution partners who gave so generously of themselves this past year by delivering the clothing items and shoe gift cards directly to the partner locations, saving them valuable time and resources. This third annual "SC4K Care Day" event is held in conjunction with UPS Global Volunteer Month, which is an extension of the long-standing commitment to volunteerism and is the year’s culminating event for employee volunteers. For the past four years, thousands of UPS employees in more than 45 countries have helped paint schools, assist food banks, renovate shelters and complete many other tasks in their communities.
Volunteers from UPS and the Associate Board of Shoes and Clothes for Kids loaded boxes of clothing into UPS vehicles for delivery to all 35 SC4K distribution partner sites. The delivery included 17 boxes of brand new clothing and Payless shoe gift cards per site for distribution to the children of Greater Cleveland.
Scott M. Simon Honored with Morrie Sayre Founder's Award
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Scott M. Simon, Vice President at North Pointe Realty, was presented with The 2009 Morrie Sayre Founder’s Award for Outstanding Volunteerism to Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K) at the annual SC4K Heart & Sole Luncheon on Monday, October 19 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. The award is presented annually to an individual and/or organization that has given selflessly to SC4K as a volunteer and exemplifies the standards of giving, integrity and commitment to improving the lives of children in Greater Cleveland set forth by Morrie Sayre when he founded SC4K (then Shoes for Kids) 40 years ago.
Scott Simon has been a volunteer on the SC4K Board of Directors since 2004. Scott took an active role in the formation of the Associate Board of SC4K in 2005, leading two planning sessions with area young professionals, determining the structure of the board and recruiting the first young professionals to serve as Associate Board members. In 2007, Scott helped lead the Associate Board in a strategic planning process which helped position the SC4K Associate Board prominently in the community.
Ready to take on the next challenge, Scott led the establishment of our newest annual fund-raising endeavor, Fool’s Frolic- a Jester Gesture of Giving for SC4K at Moxie, The Restaurant. Since 2008, Scott has chaired the planning committee for the event, helping SC4K create one of the most fun and entertaining fund-raisers in town. In addition to his important leadership roles with SC4K, he also acts as an ambassador and spokesperson for SC4K, participating in grant interviews, television and radio promotions and encouraging SC4K to engage in new social media to reach new young professionals.
Beyond his volunteer role with SC4K, Scott is very active in the community, lending his leadership and fund-raising expertise to many non-profit social service agencies, including the Jewish Community Federation, Cleveland Bridge Builders, Bellfaire, Montefiore Housing Corp., and Siegal College of Jewish Studies.
Annual SC4K Heart & Sole Luncheon Honors U.S. Senator George Voinovich on October 19
Friday, September 25, 2009
Cleveland, Ohio – Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K) will be honoring United States Senator George V. Voinovich for his commitment to improving the lives of children and families at the 2009 Heart & Sole Luncheon presented by Time Warner Cable. This annual event which is SC4K’s largest fundraiser will be held Monday, October 19 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square. Golden Shoe Sponsors include Fifth Third Bank and Forest City Enterprises. SC4K Board members Allan C. Krulak, Jim Mason, Rocky Richardson and Terry Uhl are Honorary Chairs of the event, with vic gelb serving as Master of Ceremonies.
A special VIP reception will be held preceding the luncheon from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Whitehall Room at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel. The VIP reception will include Senator Voinovich, distinguished members of the Cleveland community and SC4K boards.
The SC4K Heart & Sole Luncheon, presented by Time Warner Cable, includes lunch, entertainment, and a raffle, as well as a special presentation to Senator Voinovich. As volunteers play a vital role in the work of the organization, a special volunteer will be recognized at the Luncheon and presented with The Morrie Sayre Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. Individual patron tickets are $150. Individual benefactor tickets are $250, which include priority seating and program recognition.
2009 marks SC4K’s fortieth year of service to families in the Greater Cleveland community. This Heart & Sole Luncheon will commemorate this special anniversary. The organization is pleased to welcome back past Golden Shoe Honorees, including Allan C. Krulak, Irving B. Fine, Carolyn Brown, and James L. Mason, and honor the many dedicated volunteers who have worked to improve the lives of Greater Cleveland’s families and children in need.
Golden Shoe Honoree, George Voinovich, is one of Ohio’s most distinguished public servants. His career in public service began in 1963 when he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio. He later served a state representative, Cuyahoga County Commissioner, County Auditor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio. In 1979, he was elected Mayor of Cleveland, serving as mayor for 10 years. In 1990, he was elected Governor of Ohio and served for two years. In 1998, Voinovich was elected to the United States Senate and was re-elected to a second term in 2004.
Senator Voinovich has been called “one of the most humble and hard-working members of the U.S. Senate” and he has received numerous awards for his work to strengthen the business climate in Ohio and the nation. Senator Voinovich has been a longtime supporter of SC4K’s mission and he currently serves on the organization’s Advisory Committee. Of all he has accomplished, George Voinovich counts his family – his wife Janet, his three children and his seven grandchildren – as his greatest gifts in life.
Shoes and Clothes for Kids is the only nonprofit organization in Greater Cleveland providing new shoes and clothes at no charge throughout the year to thousands of children in need. Through a network of 35 distribution partners, SC4K positively impacts the lives of area children by giving them the self-esteem and confidence that comes from having brand new shoes and clothes. In 2009, SC4K will distribute new clothing and Payless shoe gift cards with a retail value of more than $1.8 million, in large part due to the proceeds from the Heart & Sole Luncheon. For more information, visit www.sc4k.org or contact Carolyn Sekerak, Director of Communications at 216.881.SHOE (7463), ext. 1.
09/09/09 is SC4K Day at Progressive Field; Help Fill the House and Stuff the Bus
Thursday, September 24, 2009
(CLEVELAND), September 9, 2009 – Today, Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K), a local non-profit organization that provides new shoes and clothes to thousands of children in need free of charge, is the beneficiary of two exciting initiatives that have engaged Greater Clevelanders, Fill the House at Progressive Field and Stuff the Bus at nearby Gateway Plaza.
SC4K is proud to be one of 13 charities selected to take part in the Cleveland Indians’ Fill the House for Charity Competition. SC4K supporters are filling Progressive Field today as the Indians take on the Texas Rangers at 12:05 p.m. Through the generosity of the Cleveland Indians, SC4K will receive $5.00 for every game ticket purchased through this program and an additional $1.00 for every ticket sold to today’s game.
Discounted Upper Box Seat tickets to the game were sold at the Indians’ Fill the House web site at http://www.indians.com/fillthehouse and the event was heavily promoted on the site as well.
A generous sponsorship from Fifth Third Bank allowed SC4K to purchase 750 tickets which for high-achieving school children from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to experience the game.
According to Executive Director, Valerie McCormack “SC4K is honored to be selected as a Fill the House Charity. The funds raised through this exciting program will help thousands of children gain the self-esteem and confidence that comes from having something new to wear.”
Today, SC4K will have a definite presence at the ball park beyond the 700 Cleveland youths attending the game. Select members of the Cleveland School’s All City Choir performed the national anthem, Steve Sossbee, an SC4K supporter will threw out the Ceremonial First Pitch, and the scoreboard featured a short video about SC4K, and during the bottom of the 7th inning SC4K participated in an on-field check presentation with the Indians.
Meanwhile, outside the ball park on Wednesday community members helped SC4K Stuff the Bus with new school supplies, clothing, shoes, and monetary donations to help Greater Cleveland’s children in need prepare for the school year. The 4rd Annual Stuff the Bus for Cleveland’s Kids donation drive, was generously sponsored by Dominion with support from Downtown Cleveland Alliance and BOMA Greater Cleveland.
A full-size school bus from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities was parked on Gateway Plaza between Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena and accepted donations from 8:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m.
Donated items included polo shirts, pants, jeans, socks, shoes, belts, underwear, backpacks, and school supply items (paper, notebooks, pens/pencils, rulers, binders, glue, calculators, crayons/markers, hand sanitizer and tissues). Monetary donations to SC4K were also accepted. In the past month, a dozen area companies have been hosting collection drives in their offices and came to the bus to donate items. These include Key Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Dominion and Melamed Riley Advertising, among others.
According to SC4K executive director, Valerie McCormack, the organization “requests donations of new items only, which is a critical part of Shoes and Clothes for Kids’ mission to positively impact the lives of area children by giving them the self-esteem and confidence that comes from having brand new shoes, clothing, back packs and other essential school supplies.”
Items collected during the Stuff the Bus campaign will be distributed to children in need through the SC4K distribution network of 35 partner agencies to ensure that every child returns to school with what they need to succeed. Monetary donations will be used to purchase shoes, clothing, and school supplies, at pennies on the dollar, to enhance our back-to school efforts.
Individuals interested in supporting the Stuff the Bus or Fill the House events are encouraged to visit www.sc4k.org or call 216.881.7463 for more information.
Kleats 4 Kids Donates 128 Pairs of New and Restored Athletic Shoes to SC4K
Thursday, September 24, 2009
For the third year, Shoes and Clothes for Kids has received a generous donation of new and reconditioned cleats from Kleats 4 Kids in August. Kleats 4 Kids is an organization that was founded by local student Andrew Pohly, a native of Willoughby and a freshman and the University of Pennsylvania this fall. Kleats 4 Kids works to provide new or reconditioned athletic shoes of all varieties to underprivileged youth athletes.
Pohly was playing football at Gillmour Academy several years ago when he noticed many players on the opponent's teams were wearing basketball shoes instead of football cleats. Inspired to do something to help, he founded Kleats 4 Kids and enlisted the help of his follow students to conduct shoe drives, recondition used shoes and raise money to purchase new shoes. Eventually, Pohly ran a student organization at Phillips Andover Academy in Andover Massachusetts, while attending school there and he recently filed the paperwork to make Kleats 4 Kids a full-fledged 501(c)(3) organization in the State of Ohio.
Shoes and Clothes for Kids distributed the cleats to child athletes through the Boys and Girls Clubs. Several of the clubs are members of the SC4K distribution partner network.
2009 Cleveland Browns Back to School Campaign to Benefit SC4K
Friday, August 07, 2009
Once again, The Cleveland Browns have partnered with SC4K to sponsor the 2009 Back to School Campaign. A generous donation of $15,000 from the Cleveland Browns Foundation will help SC4K distribute double the amount of gift cards during the August distribution. These cards will help children in need purchase new athletic shoes as they go back to school. To kick off the campaign, 75 children who receive services from SC4K will attend Cleveland Browns Training Camp later this month and each will receive a backpack full of school supplies and a shoe gift card and the opportunity to meet Browns players!
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