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ALICE BERGMANN, LCSW, is our award-winning Program Coordinator at Charna’s Kids Club. Her leadership and expertise have previously been acknowledged by her peers at the MSCH. This year, she is the recipient of the highly acclaimed Social Worker of the Year Award. Once again, we are so very proud of Alice!
As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary at the MSCH, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Alice. She is ‘the heart’ of the program who provides outstanding care, services, and leadership to all of "Charna’s Kids," the pediatric patients and their siblings, and to their entire families. With her enthusiasm and empathetic character it is no wonder that Alice has become a beloved figure for all those who pass through the doors at Charna’s Kids Club.
RACHEL ROSENBERG is this year’s well-deserved recipient of the MSCH’s Volunteer of the Year award! We are so proud of Rachel! This award acknowledges her endless dedication to Charna’s Kids Club. She has served "Charna’s Kids" for the last three and a half years, contributing a great deal to our sibling support program. Rachel’s favorite event at Charna’s Kids Club is Summer Sizzle which she has helped to make an even greater success each year.
A recent graduate from Hunter College with a degree in Psychology, Rachel is currently in the accelerated nursing program at New York University. After her graduation in December of 2018, Rachel plans to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in order to continue making a difference in the lives of the people around her.
Broadway Inspirational Voices
Each year one of our sibling program alumnae is selected to participate in the Ronald McDonald House’s event, "Broadway Inspirational Voices." This unique program invites children and their siblings, who have been challenged by a serious illness, to partner with a Broadway composer. Together, they write a song inspired by the children’s story, and then, it is rehearsed and performed by Broadway performers at the Ronald McDonald House. It has always been a truly special evening for all of "Charna’s Kids" who have been able to participate. By setting these siblings’ stories to music, we are all inspired to be as strong and as positive as they are!
Make-Believe Performances in the Wintergarden
Actors from "Only Make Believe" facilitated a fun day of creative and interactive theater with our patients and their siblings. The children assisted in creating characters and story components with the actors on stage, resulting in a powerful expression of emotion for the children.
Wild, Wild West Day
In partnership with the Ronald McDonald House and the ‘Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,’ many of "Charna’s Kids" and their families participated in the "Great Days Event" hosted at Krucker’s! Buses transported our families out of the city and away from hospital treatments to Pomona, NY. They even received a police escort into the campground! The county’s first responders greeted them and immediately swore them in as "sheriffs for the day," making them feel so empowered. All of the children enjoyed a variety of activities, including swimming, rides, helicopter demonstrations, and a "Makin’ Slime" station. Everyone left with smiles on their faces and great memories!