Karenna Gore Schiff

Supporter of the Association to Benefit Children; author of Lighting the Way (Miramax)
Video: Karenna discusses her cause
Mother of Wyatt, 8, Anna, 6, and Oscar, 1

"The Association to Benefit Children (ABC) serves kids living in poverty in New York City by providing day care, early-childhood education, and family services. When I joined the staff of ABC in 2002 (I'm now on the board), I had young kids, so I was immersed in the questions of how to care for children. To work at a place where those same questions were being talked about felt like a great fit. When you look at political priorities around the country, funding for child-services programs is often the first thing to get cut. Politicians' discussions about the budget can feel abstract, but it's not abstract for kids who will either come in every day for a Head Start program or have no place to go. The kids who come to ABC are just as innocent and vulnerable as my own, and just as full of potential. But over the years, if they don't have a nurturing place to spend time, their lives can take a different turn. There are lots of things people can do to fight poverty. You can give your own resources. You can say to a candidate, 'I've heard about protecting America, I've heard about tax cuts, but how are you going to help working moms afford better day care?' Politicians listen to the will of the voters. And parents are in an ideal position to raise these issues."

About The Association to Benefit Children

More than 14,000 children sleep in New York City shelters each night, and more than 600,000 go hungry every day. The Association to Benefit Children advocates for New York City children living in poverty and provides services such as day care, early-childhood education, and housing assistance. "Poverty brings about all kinds of challenges, whether it's homelessness, abuse, neglect, or developmental delays," says board member Karenna Gore Schiff. "When you go to ABC, you can see how an oasis like that can make all the difference—particularly with services that involve the whole family, like counseling for parents, mental-health treatment, and job placement."

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