All About the Children’s Enrichment Committee of Orange County
In 1911, noted philanthropist Ann Delano Hitch, aunt of future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, donated $2,000 to the Newburgh (NY) Agency for Dependent Children. From this donation, the Children’s Enrichment Committee of Orange County was born. The Children’s Enrichment Committee is devoted to helping children, especially those in foster care, in Orange County, New York.
The CEC gives holiday presents to Orange County foster children, as well as helps pay for music and dance lessons, musical instrument rentals, summer camp, field trips, sports clubs fees, prom dresses, and class rings.
The CEC also sponsors the Emily Akers Scholarship Fund, which provides aid to Orange County students in colleges and technical schools of higher education.
There are no membership fees, and all are welcome to join us!
Image: Anna Delano Hitch, first woman member of The Lion’s Club, with her nephew Franklin Delano Roosevelt. “It is no wonder people in every walk of life in Newburgh loved her.”
Our Mission
“The CEC is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of foster children and young people in need by supporting educational, cultural, and social opportunities that contribute to their growth and brighten their lives.”
2024 Upcoming Meetings and Events
We sincerely welcome visitors and new members! Should anyone have questions about our organization, please feel free to contact us.
2024 meeting dates have been set and will be held at Thrall Library:
- Monday, May 13 at 2:00pm
- June luncheon: TBA
- Monday, September 9 at 2:00pm
- Tuesday, October 15 at 2:00pm (note day change due to the holiday)
- Wednesday, November 13 at 2:00pm (note day change due to the holiday)
- December gift drop off: TBA
CEC will be holding a fundraiser sponsored by the Museum Village Playhouse in Monroe. Tickets to the play “Steel Magnolias”, held Sunday, May 5 at 2:00pm may be purchased from CEC at a cost of $30.00 each. Through the playhouse’s generosity, CEC will receive 50% of the tickets we sell. If anyone is interested, please contact CEC at: CEC@drcservices.org
Another CEC yard sale is in the works! Weather permitting, we are planning to hold this fundraiser on Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned for details!
Read About our Recent Activity
- April Spotlight
CEC would like to shine this month’s spotlight on DRC Director Donna Ramlow, who retired as of March 31. Donna has been instrumental in arranging for DRC to provide many of the business aspects necessary to run CEC’s successful program. Tech support, website services, facility use, mail coordination and non-profit paperwork are but a few of the behind-the-scenes resources that have been offered.
In addition to orchestrating this valuable support system through DRC, Donna has also volunteered her time by helping with such activities as the CEC holiday gift program too!
We wish Donna a happy retirement and thank her for her years of service to DRC and its programs.
- Volunteer Spotlight – March 2024
The Children’s Enrichment Committee is proud of its history. For over 100 years, we have made it our mission to help children in less fortunate circumstances… specifically foster children. To look back over the years, we realize that we are connected to the members of past years through our common goal. This connection is maintained by the CEC scrapbook which shows our history by means of photos, news articles and letters. For this, we sincerely thank our dedicated member, Jan Nappo. Jan has created beautiful scrapbooks of our activities as well as being the curator of past CEC journals. Without her work, our history could be lost and so we sincerely thank her for her diligence and creativity in keeping our history alive.
- Volunteer Spotlight – February 2024
Susan Pfeffer, a longtime active member of CEC, has given many hours of her talents as a master wordsmith. She has not only written our blog for years, but lent her skills to write letters of communication to the community. Making sure members and supporters are abreast of CEC’s activities and news, Susan has kept everyone informed… which is a key factor for a successful organization. If that’s not enough, she also took on the responsibilities of chairing an annual luncheon and served on the board of directors. Thank you Susan!
In addition to volunteering for CEC, Susan is an accomplished author as well and has several published books. Make sure to click onto Amazon.com and check out her titles!
- Volunteer Spotlight – January 2024
A round of applause goes to Evelyn Noelle for organizing the holiday gift wrapping fundraiser each year. Evelyn not only secures areas and dates at the Galleria Mall in Middletown, but collects all the necessary trimmings that provide for beautifully wrapped gifts.
For a donation to CEC, weary shoppers can have their purchases wrapped along with receiving a smile and good wishes from Evelyn and her merry helpers. Thank you Evelyn!
- Volunteer Spotlight – December 2023
The Children’s Enrichment Committee is thrilled to have its very own Santa’s helper!
Ruth Dean, a dedicated CEC volunteer, has organized the holiday gift giving program each year which brings joy to over 100 children who are in the Orange County foster care system. Ruth receives wish lists from the Department of Social Services, coordinates shoppers, and arranges delivery of the gifts to caseworkers. This year there were over 30 shoppers which included CEC members, DRC staff members and students from the Pine Bush High School Interact Club.
Thank you Ruth for all your hard work to help make the holidays merry for so many children.
Read more about our 2021 and beyond activity here on our blog
The CEC Wishes To Thank The Following Organizations For Their Support:
- Boy Scouts Of America, NY Troop 62, Goshen NY
- First Congregational Church, Middletown NY
- First Federal Savings, Middletown NY
- First Presbyterian Church, Goshen NY
- J’s Place, Middletown NY
- Kiwanis Club of Middletown NY
- Kwik Stop Foods, Inc. Goshen, NY
- Mid-City Transit of Middletown Muddy Waters Players NY
- Orange & Rockland
- Slate Hill (NY) Quilters
- Stewart’s Shops
- United Presbyterian Church, Middletown NY
- Warwick Lions Club, Warwick NY
- Yarntastics (Newburgh , NY)
The Children’s Enrichment Committee is a program of DRC (Dispute Resolution Center)
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