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P.J.’s Forgotten Children began in 1986 when the Utah Alliance for the Mentally Ill (UAMI) became alarmed at the number of attempted suicides among the mentally ill because they could not provide Christmas for their children. The idea of providing gifts for parents to wrap proved to be very therapeutic and helped to alleviate the increased holiday depression. In 1995, when UAMI could no longer administer this program, P.J.’s was established as an independent, nonprofit organization in memory of Patrick John Smith, who died while suffering a severe mental illness. The term “forgotten” refers to those children who are often overlooked because many of their parents are suffering mental illness as well, and are less likely to seek traditional means of help for themselves and their families.
P.J.’s Forgotten Children is run entirely by volunteers. Each year the number of needy children increases and volunteer hours increase to meet that need. In 2005 we helped a total of 2173 children. At Christmas we served 1,422 children. The 2005 Back-to-School Project served 751 children and volunteer hours increased to over 8,800. With this increase, our expenses were still kept to less than 3% of total donations.
P.J.'s Forgotten Childeren Expenditures
~ Our Mission Statement ~A non-profit organization dedicated to bringing joy, comfort and dignity to those who suffer from the “invisible” effects of Mental Illness. Remember: One hundred years from now, it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove, but the world could be different because you were important in the life of a child! |
