GIFTS IN KIND – Throughout the year Andrus children in all seven sites around Westchester County are the recipients of amazing Gifts in Kind, given by Friends with Kind Hearts. A few examples:

Autumn 2007: The members and friends of the Children’s Hope Chest donated more than 450 brand new, warm winter coats for our kids! Children on campus, in our clinics and through our Community programs were well guarded against the winds of winter! Imagine the impact such gifts make on the children and their families – a financial burden lifted, a physical need met, an emotional gift of hope!

Summer 2007: C.W. Brown Inc. of Thornwood, premiere contractors with a ‘heart for kids,’ invited vendors and its own staff to rebuild and furnish a new kitchen in our campus’ Griffith Hall! What a great benefit to our newest residents and staff; a warm and welcoming place to prepare snacks and the late night hot cocoa to settle nerves and warm a sad heart.

Spring 2007: The Rollins Agency of Tuckahoe donated brand new bicycles to our campus program, another great Gift in Kind from Friends with Kind Hearts!

And the list goes on: almost every week some kind neighbor, local business or civic organization calls to offer a gift to enhance our work with vulnerable children and support ‘our’ families. Please call the Office of Development – 914.965.3700 x. 1241 – to discuss how your family or club might share its Kind Hearts with the wonderful children in our care.

There are many different ways you can help Andrus help families and children. You might:

Support the Annual Appeal – every donation goes directly to fund non-reimbursed expenses associated with premiere care and counseling.

Designate Contributions to Specific Purposes:
Building Fund
Scholarship Fund
Technology Fund
The Parents Resource Fund
Community Services Fund
Andrus Community Programs Endowment Fund
Cottage Renovation Project

Donate cash or take advantage of the significant financial and tax benefits of a planned gift in the form of:
Bequests
Gifts of IRAs or Life Insurance Policies
Appreciated securities
Other life income resources

Make an online donation: click here to begin this secure and convenient option.

You can also help support our programs by volunteering your time or contribute a gift that will make a difference:

Brighten a Holiday. Join our holiday gift drive - or help a family carry out tasks at this stressful but important time.

Image: Children's Hope Chest members deliver holiday gifts for many children in our Community Services and Mental Health Divisions.

Create an Occasion.
Help organize or staff a special event - a trip, a magic show, a picnic. Use your imagination, your special talents and your efforts to create a memorable event for the families and children in our programs.

Image: DaimlerChrysler staff volunteer at the
Andrus Children's Center Annual Holiday Fair.

Be an Artist in Residence. Plan and guide our youngsters through a special art project, writing project or theater production.

Image: Nivia Viera, Co-Founder & Publisher of Kids X-Press visits with the Andrus Orchard School newspaper team.

Be a Guest Speaker. Showcase your talents and special expertise in one of our classes in order to give our students a window on the outside world.

Image: W. Garrison Jackson, President and CEO of Circulation Experti visits with the Andrus Orchard School children.

One Million Ways to Help.
All year long, 60 vulnerable children live at one of the four cottages on the Andrus campus in Yonkers : Andrus, Benedict, Bourne and Foster Halls. Each cottage is a beautiful 75+ year-old structure that is home for seriously emotionally disturbed children who depend on us for round-the-clock care and treatment. We want all children who come to us for treatment to live in the safe and beautiful environment they deserve. For more than three-quarters of a century we have provided loving care for thousands of children who have thrived here, but our cottages are now in need of loving care themselves.

In 2006 we are embarking on an ambitious project to renovate the interiors of all of our cottages, incorporating state of the art safety features as well as durable materials and comfortable furnishings. And the cost? We anticipate more than $2.5 million over three years but our children are worth every dollar.

Andrus is a sanctuary for vulnerable children who face overwhelming challenges of mental illness, loss and trauma. Leaving the safety and security of home is a wrenching experience for them and for their families. Our cottages should be the most secure and uplifting next-best-to-home environment that we can create.

Every one of the million dollars we are seeking for this project will go directly towards purchasing the special furnishings and fixtures – from beds and lighting to doors and carpeting – needed for the children at Andrus. We've included swatches of fabrics, and carpeting that our designers have helped us select. Each cottage will have its own warm and nurturing color scheme threaded by the theme of inspiration and healing, which we believe will further enhance the therapeutic environment. Please help us make this long term investment for the futures of the most vulnerable children in our community.

To contribute towards this exciting project click here to be taken to our secure donation page.

For group projects or individual volunteer opportunities with the Andrus Children's Center please email Judy Wood .