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.
Bumps in the Road Home Program
Providing infants and children with life-sustaining technology via the Bumps in the Road Home Program, allowing them to be discharged home in the care of their families. These young patients have a wide variety of complex medical issues including extreme prematurity, severe lung disease and oxygen requirements.
This specialized equipment includes items such as CPAP devices, high flow oxygen delivery systems and adapted strollers that can carry a ventilator, oxygen tanks and more. These are often costly expenses for families, by covering costs, we can eliminate the financial burden and provide young patients with a better quality of life. Children can also be discharged from the hospital faster, ensuring that everything required to provide safe care for these children at home is in place.
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 Vital Equipment
Just for Kids Foundation is committed to purchasing 4 new endoscopes, vital pieces of medical equipment for the ENT department that will allow the medical team to perform certain procedures that are not possible at the Children’s because the existing scopes are too large in diameter. These endoscopes will allow doctors to better diagnose and treat conditions such as cancer of the larynx, vocal cord tumors, vocal cord paralysis, nodes/polyps on the vocal cords, and more.
The ENT clinic is the hospital’s busiest and depends greatly on up-to-date medical equipment. Increasing demand coupled with advances in testing and treatments mean that there is a constant need to replace and upgrade its fleet.
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.
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 $11.5 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
