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GIVING BACK

In January 2010, Christine Gianacaci had just discovered her passion for helping children in need and was living her dream when tragedy took her. Christine, a 22-year-old from Hopewell Township, N.J., and several of her fellow class-mates from Lynn University had traveled to Haiti to help impoverished children. A powerful earthquake struck on January 12, bringing their hotel to shambles and taking the lives of many, including Christine. While she may no longer be with us, her spirit, compassion, and determina-tion live on through Christine’s Hope for Kids.

“A lot of good has come out if this tragedy,” says Christine’s mother, Jean Gianacaci, who started the foundation in March 2010, only months after losing her daughter. “We knew we had to do something to build a legacy around her and we feel like she’s guiding us. I certainly had no experience doing this,” says Gianacaci. “I think it’s all because she’s pushing it and pull-ing it and telling us which direction to go in. We are just the delivery people.”

Christine’s Hope for Kids works to provide local, underprivileged chil-dren with experiences they would not otherwise have, as well as to teach the power of kindness and helping others. Sending kids to summer camps, swimming lessons, art, and photography classes, and providing them with books, blankets, and stuffed animals are just some of the efforts of this nonprofit.

Christine’s Hope for Kids provides underprivileged children with gifts and opportunities that every kid should have. by Sarah Bergen

PICKING UP THE PIECES

Help Christine’s Hope for Kids reach their goal of donating $500,000 by the 5-year anniversary in March.

l $500 helps send children to summer camp

l $100 brings joy to 5 children

l $5 gives a goodie bag to a child

Call Christine’s Hope for Kids at 609-406-7861 or visitchristineshope.org to volunteer or get your school, class, or organization involved.

YOU CAN HELP

SURROUNDED BY HOPEOn a 2010 mis-sion trip in Haiti, Christine Gianacaci touched the lives of many children.

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GIVING BACK

Gianacaci feels that the biggest impact comes from the programs that allow students to directly help other less-fortunate kids. “The kids might pay a little bit of money to wear their pajamas to school for a day. Then we match that money and buy the teddy bears, pajamas, toothpaste, toothbrushes and beautiful, yellow bags,” she says. “Then we go back into that school and the kids pack the bags and they know that these bags are going to kids in shelters that may never have had a new pair of pajamas. That resonates with the kids because they’re seeing where their dollar or two went.”

Allowing the students to see how they can impact another child is creating a legacy of giving and kindness that will live on for years to come. “These kids are the next generation of community volun-teers. If we can get them in that spirit at a young age and create that positive feeling, they will carry it on,” says Gianacaci, who knows that their efforts are getting through to the kids because many of them continue to volunteer with the foundation outside of school.

While Christine’s Hope for Kids helps children all over Amer-ica, the foundation largely focuses on helping the children in Gianacaci’s community of Mercer County, N.J. “I feel very strongly about helping the kids in our own communities,” she says. “There are thousands of kids right here who need our help, and I am so thankful that I can help my own community—the people who have been so helpful to us.”

As the foundation approaches its 5-year anniversary this March, it is also closing in on a milestone of donating $500,000 that has been used to bring smiles to thousands of young faces. “The support system that we have from our donors is wonderful. The people that have stood up and said, ‘We want to help. We want to be part of this.’ It’s been overwhelming,” says Gianacaci.

Christine’s Hope for Kids has come a long way in 5 years, and Christine’s dream continues to inspire people of all ages to come together and better the lives of children each day. “It’s incredible how much it has grown in just 5 years. I really thought this was going to be something I would do part time, just helping some kids in our local communities,” recalls Gianacaci. “I had no idea that it was going to be this big. But there’s no better feeling than helping kids.”

I feel very strongly about helping the kids in our own communities. There are

thousands of kids right here who need our help, and I am so thankful that I

can support my own community—the people who have been so helpful to us.

Jean Gianacaci