The Harrington Family Foundation

The fifth and sixth-grade kids at La Paz Community School in Flamingo, Costa Rica are going green with a project designed to rid the world of plastic — one bag at a time.

Known as their Pura Verde Project, the kids have raised money to buy reusable shopping bags, which they will now sell in the community.

“We started the project with the idea to reduce the amount of plastic bags in Guanacaste and eventually in the whole world,” said ten-year-old Allee McKown last week.

“About 500 billion plastic bags are used every year,” she said. “They pollute our soil and water ways.”

Jackson Rothermel (11) said the distinctive green bags, which are made from non-woven polypropylene and feature the school’s logo, had come from the Earthwise Bag Company in California. The class had raised money to pay $1.50 for each of 1000 bags, which would now be sold for $5.

“We will be using the money to sponsor children to the school’s scholarship fund,” explained ten-year-old, Maxine Murray.

Nicolas Dommers (10) said the class had gone to Playa Grande last year and learned of the dangers of plastic bags to the turtle population.

“The guides were telling us how the turtles were dying because they were choking on plastic bags,” Nicolas said. “They think they are jellyfish.”

The Harrington Family Foundation is excited to partner with family friend, Brian Crites, 5th/6th grade teacher at La Paz Community School in Costa Rica, who is teaching his students to help make the world a more environmentally friendly place to live for everyone.

The Harrington family would like to thank all those who have supported the mission of the foundation in 2008 through personal financial contributions, as well as the purchase of autographed memorabilia. The revenue from these sources, combined with foundation funds, has helped us provide assistance to the following non-profit organizations:

Archbishop Howard Elementary School
Catholic Charities (Elizabeth House maternity home)
Central Catholic HS
Child Centered Solutions
Children’s Heart Foundation
Catholic Youth Organization
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund
Friends of the Children
La Paz Community School
Mercy Corps (Comfort for Kids/China earthquake)
Providence Child Center
Save The Children (Myanmar Relief)
Shriners Hospital for Children
Stand For Children
The Childrens Course (First Tee Program)
University of Oregon
Urban Impact Youth Ministry
Vernonia School District
Volunteer Africa

Building on the Harrington Family Foundation’s core belief that every child has a right to receive proper health care in a safe and nurturing community, a partnership with Shriners Hospital in Portland, Oregon began more than 5 years ago. With the generous support from the Harrington Family Foundation, patients served by the Shriners Hospital in Portland have had opportunities to enjoy a variety of rehabilitation therapies at no charge. These therapies range in their scope; from a new Assistive Technology room, an expanded program serving Occupational Therapy needs to continued funding to support the Movement Therapy and Arts program.

Since 2003, over $80,000 has been specifically directed to the help the Movement Therapy and Arts program. The Movement Arts and Therapy program is a wonderful example of community partnerships, foundation support and the involvement of dedicated volunteers over the past several years. The mission of this program is to enrich the lives of patients through outdoor adventure, creative movement, art and social enrichment. Associated with the hospital’s rehabilitation department and managed by the recreation therapist, the program provides year round opportunities to patients and families to meet the needs of the individual patients.

“The program provides unique, community based adaptive recreation opportunities to children who would not have the change to explore these fulfilling and self determining activities” says Sonia Bouchard OTR-L, MPH, Rehabilitation Department Manager.

With the foundation’s support, the programs offered are free to patients including instruction, adaptive and other equipment, volunteer assistance, and related materials. Year-round offerings includes a variety of indoor and outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding, bicycling, horseback riding, art activities, sea kayaking, yoga and swimming, to name a few. Each of these activities is specialized to meet the physical challenges that the participant faces. The program offers many choices to make certain that there is something for each of the children no matter what their physical or cognitive ability.

Along with the Harrington Family Foundation’s support, this program is supported by dedicated volunteers who bring their time, talent and treasure to the program. Over fifty volunteers are at the heart of the Movement Therapy and Arts program. These committed volunteers act as mentors; provide instruction, companionship to patients, assistance with equipment and help with other areas where needed.

Helping children defy the odds and get involved in activities that mark the thrills of childhood, such as riding a bike or taking to the slopes, is at the heart of the partnership between the Harrington Family Foundation and Shriners Hospital Portland.

Recently the Harrington Family Foundation became one of many community partners supporting The First Tee of The Children's Course in Gladstone, Oregon. The mission of The First Tee Program is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

The First Tee of The Children's Course is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing golfing opportunities for youth and families. The golf course is a 9-hole, par 3 layout. It is funded by private donations from foundations, corporations and individuals. A facility unique to The First Tee of The Children's Course, the Erling Jacobsen Learning Center, features a 5-hole short course for teaching, practice and play. The First Tee of The Children’s Course is also unique in that there are no restricted tee times for kids and they have access seven days a week.

The First Tee of The Children's Course outreach programs are dedicated to nurturing disadvantaged children ages 7 to 17, building values that strengthen their character and guiding them in becoming responsible adults through the game of golf. In 2007, they worked with more than 65 schools and agencies and reached more than 3,200 children. Nearly 12,500 lessons were given to deserving youths.

For more information, visit their website at:
http://www.thefirstteechildrenscourse.org/Club/Scripts/Home/home.asp

Child Centered Solutions is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, focused on the rights and needs of children involved in domestic relations cases. During family conflict, the needs of children are often neglected causing recurring social and psychological issues for the children involved. CCS gives a voice to these children.

Through a practical, child-first ideology, CCS focuses on providing solutions for children and families through legal representation, professional training and community education.
CCS was created in 2005 by a concerned group of domestic relations professionals in the hope of protecting the well being of children involved in contentious divorce and custody cases. Realizing that children had access to legal advocacy in the Juvenile arena such as abuse and neglect and delinquency cases, this founding group strove to provide comparable support for children in tbe family law arena.

The services of CCS attorneys are free to their child clients, their families and the courts. These legal services are currently available in Multnomah County and Columbia County. With financial support from community partners such as the Harrington Family Foundation, CCS long-range goal is to provide support to children in need throughout the State of Oregon.

For more information about Child Centered Solutions, visit their website at:
http://www.childcenteredsolutions.org/index.htm