Sisters with a Cause
Every time the girls collect another hundred movies they find a new hospital to donate to. The movies don’t have to be new and people donate used videos and DVDs also.
“It all started four years ago when my sisters and I were doing some spring cleaning,” said Marta. “I remember that when one of my friends was stuck in the hospital being treated for leukemia she spent hours watching movies to pass the time. Getting your kids involved in charitable acts is a great way for kids to develop empathy and respect for the world around them.”
The sisters began by making calls and sending out solicitation letters to friends and families asking for donations of movies.
Marta, who is a 15-year-old ninth grader at Harvard Westlake School, said hearing what hospital staff had to say about the project really let she and her sisters know they were helping people. Sixty-four different hospitals in the U.S. have benefited from the project.
Kidflicks has been granted 501�© (3) nonprofit status so donations are tax deductible.
The sisters recently were awarded Family Honoree recognition for their efforts by the National Family Volunteer Awards.
For more information write to Kidflicks/Barta, 11755 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA 90025 or email Kidflicks@aol.com.
According to St. Louis Children’s Hospital staff, videos make a child’s stay in the hospital more enjoyable.
The Lollipop Theatre Network in New York City, NY shows newly released movies to kids in hospitals. In came about when Janice Schodowski was a volunteer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. In 2002 Lollipop debuted its program at the center with a special screening of “Star Wars II – Attack of the Clones.”
At KIDS FIRST! CARES critically ill children are also supported through film. You can donate online at kidsfirst.org.
Fifteen million children will have the chance to watch and enjoy videos, DVDS, and CD-ROMS as part of the Meg’s Gift Program administered by KIDS FIRST!, one of the programs of the national not for profit Coalition for Quality Children’s Media. Meg’s Gift was established in 1996 in honor of Meg Clemens who died at the age of 15 from leukemia and who it is said to have spent “too much lonely time in hospitals.”
And at CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County, CA) new and gently used movies can be donated if they are rated G, PG, or PG13.
