Here they are! The grandkids. By age – Joe Greenwald (6), Jacob Franken (4), Avery Greenwald (3), and Claire Franken (9 months). In the center photo, prepping the apples for her classic apple pie, are me and Franni (age unknown).
But back to the Grandkids. We feel so fortunate to have four such beautiful, happy, and healthy grandchildren who provide their parents and us with so much joy and love.
That is why this holiday season we are so grateful to be able to give to organizations which help families that are facing difficult and sometimes heartbreaking circumstances.
If you are making some end-of-the-year decisions about giving, please consider the following organizations:
Gillette Children’s Hospital: Gillette provides state-of-the-art care for children and cutting-edge research that saves lives.
Washburn Center for Children: Washburn provides comprehensive therapeutic treatment for children struggling with mental health conditions supported by a world-class staff.
RAICES: The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees in Central and South Texas.
Annunciation House: Annunciation House is a volunteer organization that offers hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in the border region of El Paso, Texas. Since its founding in 1978, it has provided shelter, clothing, food, and other basic necessities for hundreds of thousands of migrants, mostly from Mexico and Central America.
Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation: The foundation promotes high school debate for underprivileged students to give them the academic and life skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. It’s a great program that our daughter helped facilitate in the DC public schools. Matthew was a dear friend of the whole Franken family and died in his early 30’s. Matthew was a national debate champion and one of the sweetest, funniest people I know.
Feeding America: Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and to engage the country in the fight to end hunger.
Thank you for considering these very worthy organizations.
Have a great Christmas day, everyone, including those of us who eat Chinese. (Chinese food.) Also have a happy New Year and a great 2020 with plenty of laughter, joy, and more laughter.
Also, let’s win the election.
Al