Mission and Vision
Just for Kids Foundation (JFK) raises funds to purchase high-priority medical equipment, and to support initiatives that improve the quality of care for patients of the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
At JFK Foundation, our vision is simple: To continually enhance the experience and care of patients at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Current Campaign
This year, our focus remains on essential projects that could greatly benefit from your support.
The Heart & Hands Pediatric Clinic
The Heart & Hands Pediatric Clinic acts as a central hub, providing at-risk children improved access to healthcare and eliminating many barriers that limit their ability to obtain care. This unique clinic located within Verdun Elementary School cares for children who are experiencing a wide range of complex medical, mental health and psychosocial conditions and coordinates services available through the school board, in the community or at the Children’s.
To date, of the children seen :
- 75% did not have a primary care physician
- 69% received a new diagnosis
- 46% received an intervention
- 96% received a medical or mental health treatment plan.
With your support we can expand the Heart & Hands Pediatric Clinic’s existing services to address the needs of 1,500+ children by additionally serving an area high school, pre-kindergarten program and an Indigenous daycare.
Your donation will help influence health outcomes for one of the most disadvantaged populations in the city.
Improving Mental Health Resources (Emergency Department)
Just for Kids is committed to improving mental health resources at the Children’s by providing funding for a Social Worker specializing in mental health in the Emergency Department. The Mental Health Social Worker will play a critical and central role in treating these vulnerable patients and act as a facilitator between the medical team and the child’s family.
Faced with waiting lists of more than 180 days for follow-up, young people and their families are increasingly turning to hospital emergency departments in a cry for help to deal with issues ranging from anxiety to depression to suicidal ideation. According to the Children’s, from 2020 to 2021, there was a 40% increase in mental health related hospitalizations for children ages 12 to 17. This role is crucial at this time.
Purchasing Microscope for Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Department
Just for Kids Foundation is committed to purchasing a new microscope for the ENT Department. The new microscope is a critical tool for complex interventions as they require the utmost precision, particularly when preformed on tiny babies and small children.
The ENT Department is one of the busiest in the Hospital and relies on up-to-date medical equipment. They handle nearly 15,000 patients per year and are involved in training medical and surgical students as well as hosting an international fellowship program for otolaryngologists from numerous countries.
A Home Away From Home for Families of Sick Children
Just for Kids Foundation is committed to helping fund the Pavillon Caramel, free housing for parents of sick children facing long stays at the Children’s. These new residences are only steps away from the hospital and will offer all of the comforts of home.
Featuring private rooms and common areas they will provide an opportunity for families going through similar experiences to lend each other support during difficult times.
JFK Sibling Park
The JFK Sibling Park at the Montreal Children’s Hospital provides siblings of patients in acute care a safe haven. With professional childcare workers by their side, siblings can play freely, seek comfort, and never feel as if they are alone. This fully subsidized program helps alleviate the financial stress of extra childcare costs. Often credited with keeping families together during their most difficult moments, JFK Foundation will continue to support the JFK Sibling Park, a vital childcare program.
Equipment for the Children’s Sleep Medicine Clinic and Laboratory
Just for Kids Foundation is committed to acquiring portable/ambulatory polysomnography equipment for the Children’s Sleep Medicine Clinic and Laboratory which will allow the Clinic’s team to diagnose sleep disorders in the comfort of the child’s home. Highly innovative, these machines have Bluetooth technology, making the measurement of oxygen levels and heart rate wireless. The portable home sleep equipment and test can help determine if patients have significant snoring, difficulty breathing, and ultimately if they have obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea. With this new equipment, the sleep lab could double their current capacity for polysomnography sleep testing and evaluation.
Impact
Hospitals rely on foundations such as ours to help close the gap between basic government funding and much needed medical equipment and programs.
To date, Just for Kids Foundation has:
- Purchased over $12.5 million of high-priority medical equipment for the MCH.
- Helped over 1,500 healthcare professionals improve patient care.
- Touched almost every department at the hospital.
- Equipped medical staff with the latest technological advancements. This, in turn, attracts world-class medical professionals to Montreal and the MCH.
- Established the JFK Sibling Park, a free childcare centre for siblings of children in acute care.
Please support Just for Kids Foundation and make a difference in the lives of countless children.
History
Just for Kids Foundation was founded over 30 years ago (in 1987) by concerned parents who saw the need to provide funding for updated medical equipment to best diagnose and treat patients at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
This dedicated group of volunteers began to create innovative ways to raise funds so the Children’s would remain a state-of-the-art institution within our community.
With imagination, dedication and big hearts, these volunteers created Montreal-based fundraising events. Both large and small, these events have cultivated a very special group of volunteers who continuously challenge themselves to inspire, engage and give back.
Not only has JFK Foundation created a local community among its members, but it also has impacted the community at large by helping children and their families throughout Montreal, as well as touching the lives of so many event participants, guests and corporate sponsors.
Leadership
PRESIDENT
Marissa Frishman
FOUNDING PRESIDENT
Harriet Greenstone
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Jason Ansel
PAST PRESIDENTS
Jill Aberman
Lisa Adelstein Steinberg
Sandra D’Alesio Lanno
Marla Fersten Oringer
Myra Frishman
Franceen Goffman
Mara Greenstone Agulnik
Rochelle Lerner Silverman
Lynda Lubin
Jill Morganstein Kimmel
Donna Seidman Salzman
TREASURER
Lyne Breton
BOARD MEMBERS
Lisa Adelstein Steinberg
Jason Ansel
Laurence Destrempes
Daniel Marcus
Tommy Petrogiannis
Jill Selick
Adam Shapiro
Emerson Turnier
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lorie Blumer
AMBASSADORS
Emerson Turnier
Alessia Giambattista
Emily Grostern
Arie Pesner
Robin Petrogiannis
StaceyAnn Clayton
