Help a Child in Need
Things of My Very Own, Inc. provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect.
Services are also available to children who are, solely due to the lack of items necessary for sustainability, at risk of a Child Protective Services intervention.
Our goal is to keep children together with non-abusive family members, and out of the foster care system, whenever possible.
Our Video Tells the Story
Help a Child in Need
Things of My Very Own, Inc. provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect.
Services are also available to children who are, solely due to the lack of items necessary for sustainability, at risk of a Child Protective Services intervention.
Our goal is to keep children together with non-abusive family members, and out of the foster care system, whenever possible.
Our Video Tells the Story
Help Us to Reach Our Urgent Fundraising Goal!
Our Fundraising Goal: $20,000 for our Rooftop Heating Unit
Rooftop heating unit hit by lightning. Click to view larger image.
One of the organization’s rooftop heating units is in desperate need of replacement.
Rooftop units typically last 10-15 years, ours is over 25 years old and was recently hit by lightning.
PMA Mechanical generously worked on the unit to keep it running for the next couple of months, but the unit is in desperate need of replacement. The cost of a replacement unit, plus the crane to get it on top of the roof, is estimated to be approximately $20,000.
Please, help us avoid future loss by contributing toward the cost of a new rooftop unit.
The Founder’s Story
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URGENT
We have a devastated mother in our interview room struggling to hold herself together. Her husband recently passed and the loss of income caused her and her six-year-old daughter to lose their home. The family recently secured an apartment but is still in need of basic necessities in order to remain intact.
Family #3132019
Mom
Shirts: XL Women's
Pants: 14 Woman's
Undergarments: 9
Bra: 38DD
Shoes: 8.5
Six-year-old girl
Shirts: 6
Pants: 6
Undergarments: 6
Shoes: 12c
Notes: Mom is struggling greatly to process losing the love of her life and the resulting chain of events. The feeling of loss and the resulting depression became too much and Mom was admitted to the hospital. She was released yesterday and is here now hoping we can help. The family is in need of mattresses, bedding, clothing, personal hygiene supplies, feminine hygiene supplies (pads please), towels and laundry detergent.
The six-year-old was "Daddy's Girl" and is also struggling greatly. Something nice to cheer her up would be greatly appreciated.
Things of My Very Own has negotiated with companies and is able to purchase many of these needed items at a fraction of retail prices. For this reason, monetary donations go MUCH further. Please make a donation today so that this family doesn't have to experience another loss.
If you have any of the items on-hand, donations may be brought or mailed to the following address:
Things of My Very Own, Inc.
249 Green Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
Donation drop-off hours: Monday's, Wednesday's, Friday's and Saturday's from 9am-noon.
We thank you in advance for your support of this family.
More babies at the crisis center for the children to see. đź’• @ Things of My Very Own
These are our dinosaurs. We tell the children that they come from a magical land called China where they too endured something painful. Sometimes the dinosaurs wonder if they are good enough and if they are worth more than what they have endured. As a result, they struggle to believe in themselves and have ”lost their roar”.
Dinosaurs may be big and strong but they too can struggle with big emotions just like the little girls and boys we work with. No one has all the answers and that’s okay. We don’t have to figure everything out all at once.
The children very much enjoy working with our dino friends. They learn about paleontology, the difference between empathy and sympathy, how to support each other and themselves. By the end of the program, the children have learned that they aren’t “stupid” and that they CAN learn, regardless of how much school they may have missed during their healing process. Best of all, thanks to the support of the children, the dinosaurs now have a new outlook on life and have once again, found their roar. 💕
Imagine that you are an eight-year old little girl and have just experienced the worst moment of your life. You were finally brave enough to tell someone what had been happening at home. Soon after, mom was taken away in handcuffs. Now Dad’s angry and drinking again. You knew they wouldn’t let you stay with him and silently, you are thankful.
Now you are sitting in a small room at a local child protective services agency. Someone tells you that Grandma is on her way. You see Grandma through the window. Her hurried walk tells you that something is wrong. You hear her telling someone in the next room that she doesn’t know how she will afford this. Someone tells her about a place that will help. My gosh, you think. Not another office. You just want to go home. You start to break.
Fast-forward.
An hour later you are at that next agency. You walk in but see nothing. The stress is too much to bear. Your body starts to go numb and you can’t seem to breathe. A friendly stranger approaches and says that she has something to show you. She places a beautiful butterfly on your hand, unlike any you have ever seen before. You watch the winged creature slowly move and your breathing begins to slow. In this world, all that matters is you and the butterfly on your hand. It seems to trust you. Maybe you aren’t so bad after all.
Things of My Very Own has a USDA PPQ permit to import, breed and display 41 native and non-native species of butterflies and moths. We worked for it because we want to change the model of what crisis intervention services are like. Sure, there’s an educational component behind it but that’s for another post. We want to create a magical environment for every little girl and boy that comes to us. You see THINGS aren’t always material. Sometimes it’s a belief in yourself and sometimes, it’s walking away knowing, that you and Grandma are going to be okay.
Think we’re kidding? Here’s a couple of Red-Spotted Purple butterflies that emerged from their chrysalis at the Crisis Intervention Center today.
URGENT CASE
We have an urgent case involving a mother and her five children. The family had to leave their home suddenly after code enforcement deemed the apartment building structurally unsound. They were not able to retrieve any of their belongings, leaving them with nothing. The family was recently able to find stable housing and is in need of basic necessities in order for the children to remain with their mother and out of the foster care system.
Family #3052019
10-year-old girl
Shirts: 14 girls
Pants: 14 girls
Bra: small sports bra
Undergarments: 14 girls
Shoes: 6y
6-year-old boy
Shirts: 6
Pants: 6
Undergarments: 6 (boxers preferred)
4-year-old boy (twin)
Shirts: 6
Pants: 6
Undergarments: 6 (briefs preferred)
Shoes: 1y
4-year-old boy (twin)
Shirts: 6
Pants: 6
Undergarments: 6 (briefs preferred)
Shoes: 12c
2-year-old boy
Shirts: 4T
Pants: 4T
Undergarments: 4T
Shoes: 10c
Notes: Mom has significant medical concerns that impact her ability to work. The family is in need of one twin-sized mattress set, twin-sized bedding for all the children, new pillows, towels, food and cleaning products for her new apartment. The children would benefit greatly from age-appropriate toys and books as the two four year olds' have an upcoming birthday.
We have the ability to purchase many of these items at a fraction of retail prices. For this reason, monetary donations go MUCH further. Please make a donation today so that this family can stay together and out of the foster care system.
If you have any of the items on-hand, donations may be brought or mailed to the following address:
Things of My Very Own, Inc.
249 Green Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
Donation drop-off hours: Monday's, Wednesday's, Friday's and Saturday's from 9am-noon.
We thank you in advance for your support of these children.