CHILD LIFE SOCIETY INC

In honor of Rabbi wolkenfeld ,
A couple of days ago rabbi wolkenfeld of child life society treated us to an amazing day of spa treatment and a gourmet dinner to end the day!
We cannot describe in words how grateful we are for this much needed treat ,cystic fibrosis is a very complex disease , we as cf mom deal with all its challanges on a daily basis which can be really overwhelming ,
Whenever we need anything even just emotional support rabbi wolkenfeld will try to help us in any way!!
We all look forward and appreciate everything rabbi wolkenfeld does which makes our lives much easier !!!
May hashem repay you and bless you and your family with much nachas gezinterheit!!
Thanks again!

Yocheved r
Pozy m
Chana r
Esty m
Ita t
Freeda w
Ruchy k
Roiz ruchy f
Diny s
Henny i
Mimi s

Dear Child Life Society and Rabbi Wolkenfeld,

I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible opportunity you provide patients and their families to experience a peaceful retreat in Key West. The healing power of the fresh air and the comfort of the accommodations, including the pristine house, heated saltwater pool, and entertainment options, are a true blessing for those struggling with respiratory illness. I have been accompanying a family member who is a patient and recipient of Child Life’s services for several years and each time I see the tremendous impact time spent at the “Child’s Life’s Key West Resort” has on the physical and emotional wellbeing of the patients as well as their caregivers. However this year was especially meaningful as I, too, was on the path to recovery from cancer. The experience not only positively impacted the patient but also brought healing and solace to me as a family member. Thank you immensely for this invaluable gift. May Hashem repay you for everything!

The Life Shine Respite House in Key West, Florida is a true dream of a villa and our special, happy place!!! :) Words will not do adequate justice to describe our incredible experience and stay at the home with its luxurious amenities and beautiful, saltwater pool!!!
R’Walkenfeld, of Child Life Society, continues to go above and beyond, reassuring both patients and their families are cared and provided for in the most delightful and amazing way!!! He will spare no expense or detail of comfort and medical care and do whatever it takes to enhance our stay! Our child and us really lived it up and couldn’t soak in enough the therapeutic and strong ocean air!! Pure bliss!!!
The highlight of our trip is the delicious saltwater pool where she can freely swim and enjoy at her heart’s content!! It sure helps bring the mucus up more easily, granting her much needed energy and strength to partake in her daily and outdoor activities!!
The house too is well stocked with every appliance, toys, bestselling books and dvds imaginable, plus comfy clean linen and throw pillows galore! There is so much to do and enjoy, even on a rainy day!
Her medical team marvels each time anew at how great she does with her PFTS (pulmonary function tests) upon arrival home and testify at the remarkable & lingering results of an extended stay in the blessed saltwater air of the famous Keys!!!
We are truly indebted & grateful to R'Walkenfeld and the wonderful Child Life Society team for their ongoing and unwavering, kind care and generosity!!! May Hashem greatly repay them in abundance!

Dearest Rabbi wolkenfeld and the Child life Society Team,

I just returned from our stay at the Life shine Respite Home in Key West Florida, There are truly no words to express how much CLS supports us in my Journey.
Life with CF is a big challenge. Every little support is appreciated immensely and helps release the burden on me. Thank Hashem I was blessed with a beautiful healthy baby boy the past April. Being a mom plays a big role in my health, it requires a lot of physical strength which I don't have much. Rabbi Wolkenfeld was so amazingly kind, allowing us to have a volunteer with me so I can take the time to focus on my health during our stay. I had the opportunity to rejuvenate and focus on my body. Swimming in the salt water pool was a breath of life for me. My lungs were filled with sticky mucus, after every swim it loosened up and it was much easier to get it out b"h. The volunteer was babysitting my toddler so I was able to go biking on the boardwalk near the ocean, Oh what a breeze, how refreshing! A spark of LIFE! We literally had the fresh air from the salt beach a step out of the doorway, Key west is a small island so just by being in the yard was a force of oxygen to my lungs.

Rabbi Wolkenfeld is a tremendous source of support in our Journey with CF. May Hashem bless you tenfold for your amazing support, and you should be able to continue with this wonderful work!
With much gratitude,
Bashy Miller

By providing us with a house in Florida Child Life Society gave me the opportunity to benefit from the healthy air in Key West. The climate near the ocean helped me expand my lungs.
The house was clean and included linen. The pool in the yard topped it off. My lungs feel less congested and it is easier for me to breathe after a swim. Thank you Rabbi Wokenfeld and Child Life Society. To have a pool in house and the opportunity to swim every day gave my lungs a much needed boost.
With Appreciation,
S.T.

I came to the Lifeshine Respite home for a week recently. The house was spotlessly clean as well as the salt pool in the back. I benefited most from the pool and the overall relaxation of the clean Key West air and felt an almost immediate difference in my breathing.

I’m so eternally thankful for Child Life and Rabbi Wolkenfeld’s constant support of improving the health of people like me with respiratory illness. He was constantly checking in to ask if everything is ok and if I needed anything.

Many blessings and thank you Child Life for this priceless respite home and ongoing support.

There are no words to describe how amazing our experience was at Life Shine Respite Home's majestic and renowned facility! Visiting stunning Key West every year is literally the highlight of our family's year. It keeps our child going through hours of grueling treatment sessions.
In addition to his commitment to this unique organization, Rabbi Wolkenfeld continuously provides moral and financial support to its patients and families. He is a true powerhouse and epitomizes compassion and generosity!
During our recent stay at the house, we encountered a problem with the hot water. After contacting Rabbi Wolkenfeld, he immediately dispatched the right personnel to resolve the problem.
Despite the cooler weather, we did not seem to be concerned about it. As a result, Rabbi Wolkenfeld kept the pool heated to maximum temperatures, thus allowing us to swim in the delicious, sparkling saltwater pool!
Our stay was made as beautiful as possible at no extra cost. On arrival, the house was spotlessly clean and stocked with all the necessary amenities, including appliances, towels, and bedding! Also, the elegant and comfortable furnishings added a special touch of homeliness!
Additionally, there is a large library with a wide selection of great books and DVDs, as well as every bestseller imaginable! Even when it was raining, there was always something to keep us occupied, enjoying, and exploring despite the weather!
It was truly a wonderful and gratifying experience that will remain with us long after our stay. The medical team continues to marvel at the great difference in the child's pulmonary function tests long after we returned home.
We are extremely grateful to Rabbi Wolkenfeld and his wonderful organization for all the kindhearted, selfless work and charitable deeds they have done for our community. We pray that the One Above will truly shower him with an abundance of blessings and success in the years to come!

We recently had the special privilege of staying in Child Life’s beautiful Life Shine’s Respite House and can’t share enough how healing and lifesaving it’s been, for both our dear child and family!!!
We arrived to an immaculate clean house with freshly stocked towels & linens, comfy sofas & beds, plus all necessary kitchen gadgets, great books, dvds & games, thus making our stay most luxurious and amazing!!!
Words can’t describe the immediate change we noticed in our child, both physically & mentally! She couldn’t get enough of the fresh air and enjoyed their clean salt water pool immensely. The maintenance of both the pool and house is remarkable!!
Key West and R’Wolkenfeld’s stunning home sure is our happy place & we will forever be grateful to his warm generosity & unwavering kindness!!! May he and his wonderful organization continue to succeed in all their significant endeavors!!!

Rabbi Wolkenfeld, no words will do justice to express our appreciation for your devotion and kindness that you showed all along while we were preparing for our trip. You were there for us during the trip making sure everything went smoothly and seamlessly. Our family thoroughly enjoyed being in the beautiful house in Key West, especially the warm pool. We were able to rest from the daily struggles of a life threatening disease. Thank you so much!!!

We are still under the impression of our recent trip to the respite house in Key West!

Our daughter that was recently diagnosed with CF was feeling really ill and weak and having a very bad cough0

We reached out to CHILD LIFE SOCIETY, and they offered us their Respite house in Key West.

After two days of being there, our daughter was a new person! She was stronger and healthier, and the tough was gone.

I cannot thank them enough for this experience.

To our Respected Rabbi Wolkenfeld,

We would like to express our sincere Thanks for giving us an Amazing day out, To rejuvenate, And refresh ourselves and the ability to go on with our daily struggles as being parents of CF Kids, its truly amazing how Rabbi Wolkenfeld always does make an effort to treat us with the much needed outings, Like treating us and paying for Lunch and Dinners at beautiful restaurants And at beautiful Salons where we all got Relaxing Massages, and we were able to get the much needed support between ourselves And enjoy the day, it will really be a memorable day and will lasts for a while. May Hashem Bless you for your generosity and you should always be able to support and to continue to help the CF parents with our challenges, your help means a world to us!

Thanks again from the CF Moms
Mimi Schwartz
Ruchy Fekete
Esty Margolias
Freeda Weider
Malky Gross
Chana Rosenberg
Ita Templer

Child Life Society's Lifeshine Respite Home truly breathed life back into our family. The stress of living with the effects of respiratory illness impacts the entire family, and having the opportunity to take a much-needed vacation is infinitely appreciated.

From the therapeutic saltwater pool (where we spent hours each day!) to the clean, unpolluted air, we saw the impact that these interventions have on respiratory illness only a few days in. Even now, we are still seeing the impact: less coughing and congestion, a clearer airway, and the ability to take full breaths.

The house is maintained painstakingly, with attention to detail to ensure nothing is missing. From comfortable beds to a stocked linen closet, pots, pans, and kitchenware to use at our leisure, beautiful flowers and gardening around the property, the entire stay was such a pleasure. The kids loved the space to run around in the meticulously maintained front and backyard, and the TV and therapy room was a nice touch - and fully stocked with DVDs, books, and magazines to ensure that everyone in the family could relax.

Rabbi Wolkenfeld checked in to make sure everything was okay throughout our stay, and his support and understanding have been life-changing for our family. The Child Life Society truly changes the world. Thank you for giving the husband and father of our family the ability to clear his airways, breathe more deeply, and improve his health - and thereby, the health and happiness of our entire family.

Dear Board and Directors of Child Life Society,
I recently had the privilege of utilizing the Key West Respite home for the first time and I was blown away! Everything from the details leading up to the stay, the trip itself and the accommodations at the home were meticulously managed and cared for the entire time. The location is in pristine condition, both hygienically and aesthetically maintained at a very high standard. Rabbi Wolkenfeld was constantly calling me to make sure I was ok and I was making use of the amenities so I can get the most rehabilitative benefit from the respite. The combination of the onsite salt pool, unpolluted air of Key West and simply the ability to relax at the respite home has given me incredible relief from my respiratory and pulmonary difficulties. The affects are carrying over to my daily life even after I have returned home and I can breathe better than I have in a very long time.
Many thanks and blessings to Child Life Society for their incredible work and devotion to the needs of those with CF and related respiratory challenges.
AR from NYC

In honor of Rabbi Wolkenfeld,

There are simply no words that will accurately account how much a week of respite in the Key West, FL Child Life Society home has done for a child born with severe respiratory complications. The house is situated in a most pivotal location. Since Key West is practically surrounded by water, the air has done, and continues to do wonders. Firsthand, we can relate how the patient was in need of fewer suctioning and medical care due to the climate conditions.

Furthermore, the house has been stocked with all possible amenities needed. Flying with mounds of medical equipment, leaves no room to take any other necessary items. It can cause a lot of needless anguish and stress. All that was so easily avoided since the Child Life Society home has covered it all! Pots, Pans, Towels, Linen, the list is endless!!

The property is home to beautiful grounds, coupled with freshly grown flowers and trees in the Front of the house as well as the underground pool in the back of the home. The pool was simply the HIGHLIGHT of the entire trip!!! It’s quite an undertaking in putting a ventilator dependent child in the water. The pool is in the property of the home, and is taken care of in the best way possible. The patients smile was the widest the days she has gone swimming. Only the rain was able to tear her away from the waters…..

There are many seemingly small details that make a big difference.
The TV screen with all the DVD’s provided, the Mickey Mouse table and chairs, the couches, the umbrella in the table outside…
Each and every detail contributed to the circumstances.

Thank You, thank you!!
This would never have been able to be pulled off without Child Life Society and all it’s generous donors!!

We just returned home after another wonderful stay at the beautiful Lifeshine Respite House in sunny Key West, Florida! It was an amazing and healing experience for our entire family: compliments of R’ Wolkenfeld’s kind generosity!!
The delicious salt ocean air and how it has benefited our precious child during our stay is beyond description. Upon our arrival, she was feeling severely congested and physically weak; not only has this experience boosted her physical wellbeing, but also her mental state as well!
She especially thrived in the delightful, bleach free, pure salt water pool; her energy levels spiked as she swam lap after lap, coughing up all the clogged mucus as a result of this pleasurable exercise.
It was such a relief to watch her cheerfully join us for walks, her arms swaying freely, enfolded by the heavenly ocean breeze. Usually, it takes so much effort for her to partake in any outdoor activities but she now did so eagerly!
The house is equipped with loads of fun toys and games, books and entertainment, as well as all necessities and so much more. She enjoyed playing with their badminton set, that could be used both outside and inside the pool.
R’ Walkenfeld goes out of his way to make sure no details of these lifesaving vacations are spared and is personally involved in its planning stage to the final stay. All expenses are fully paid for by his/this wonderful and unique organization, including housekeeping services, flight itinerary and car rental. Siblings are welcome to join and rejuvenate together with their loved ones. The accommodations are one of a kind, so luxurious and comfortable.
We benefited enormously from our stay and wish to express our deepest appreciation for well, EVERYTHING!!!! We are more than grateful and feel fortunate and blessed!
We wish Child Life Society continued success in all their significant and future endeavors!!!!

From a very grateful Mom!

January 20, 2020

Att: Rabbi Chaim Wolkenfeld
Child Life Society
1347 43rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219

Dear Rabbi Chaim Wolkenfeld,

Thank you so much, we really had a great time in Key west! The air over there is
something else, my cough was much looser and easier. For about 10 days prior
going to Key west, I felt congested on my left side, after just 2 days in Key west
the pain disappeared.
The delicious pool gave me a chance to do the exercise my doctor said is the best
exercise for me. We really enjoyed the walks at the board walk and the beach,
which are so close and accessible, so we can make the most out of it.
Now returning to the harsh Canadian weather, where I can bearly breath
outside, I wish we had stayed longer, maybe next year iy’’h.

Thank you again, may Hashem bless you for all you do for us cf patients.

Family Goldberg

Bright, inviting and the perfect place for a wonderful place to heal and rejuvenate with family in this tropical paradise.

Beautiful pool area, and neighborhood is peaceful and quiet. washer and dryer were super convenient,

House is very spacious, and very modern and nicely furnished with an equipped kitchen, perfect for cooking. Everyone had their own bed, and all were comfy and relaxed. I felt very rejuvenated after.

So many emotions running through me, I do not know where to begin. The words “thank you” are simply not enough to show the appreciation I have for giving us the opportunity to spend 2 weeks in your tropical escape in Key West. There are no words to express how much being there has helped me.

Rabbi Wolkenfeld and the Child Life Society carefully takes the time in making sure that everything is absolutely perfect and ready for each and every family that stays at one of their Respite locations, from purchasing the airline tickets and following up once you land….making sure that their guests arrive safely, to providing tickets to entertain and enhance your time there. They made sure we had everything we needed and that we were absolutely comfortable, which was the perfect touch to a perfect time away.

The peaceful surroundings, the cleanliness of the house, and the clean fresh air were the perfect ingredients needed to make this a truly wonderful experience. We surely did not want to leave.

Thank you for all the wonderful work that you do for all those who need this so desperately. Taking care of a child with Cystic Fibrosis is a tremendous challenge. CLS gives families a way to recharge their batteries, feel more energetic, focused, and reinvigorated. May you all continue to have the means to assist families for many years to come so that you can continue to enjoy the fruit of your labors, helping families heal, and their journey a more enjoyable and rewarding one.

My children and I spent pesach in key west at the lifeshine respite home. It was absolutely an amazing experience. The house was extremely clean and well stocked with everything we needed. CLS arranged for us to have meals at the local chabad house, and they even provided us with free site seeing passes.
It was truly a life changing experience, and we are tremendously grateful to CLS.

Our family just returned from two weeks at the beautiful respite home in Key West Florida. Within two days of breathing in the pristine salty air, my daughter's sinuses drained and cleared up. She is post double lung transplant, and the climate made her feel amazing. The home was eat off the floor clean, and stocked with all essentials. We appreciated that there was soap, Purell and sanitizing wipes throughout the home for our use. Child Life Society has always gone above and beyond to enhance our family's life while coping with Cystic Fibrosis. Thank You!

I am the father of an teenage girl with Cystic Fibrosis.
We recived numerous help during the years from this wonderful organization.
Rabbi W. helped us with counseling when S. was diagnosed. He guided us how to navigate the medical care S. will need. He provided S. and us with respite when it was desperately needed.
He payed for expensive medication for S. that was not covered.
He also helped us financially during the years with school supplies, and stipends before the holidays.

Wonderful organization helping patients with CF and their families.

I will forever be grateful for this amazing organization child life society and especially to rabbi Wolkenfeld he is constantly helping me with anything I need like emotional support, guidance , group therapy , treating me and other moms with cf kids on outings to spas, restaurants , especially the annual trips to key west which helped my daughter immensely , also before the holidays he helps us out with money which is a huge help to my family which is a big burden with a cf child, I will forever be thankful to this beautiful organization may god help rabbi Wolkenfeld should be able to continue this great and amazing work he does for cystic fibrosis families!!!

This organization is located in Brooklyn, New York that is geared for Jewish Cystic Fibrosis families. They have been doing lots of fundraising in the past 15 years or so, yet they don't deliver to the families in need. I looked up some of their tax returns and it was quite shocking. Between 2012 and 2015 they have raised between $300,000 and $550,000 each year, while only giving for the cause 15.75% at most. In 2013, they only gave 7.37%! to the CF families. These numbers are based on the 990 tax returns that are publicly available online.

In 2013 they raised $347,464.00 and granted the CF families with a measly $25,592.00 (which is 7.37%). They claim to help around 100 CF families, you're welcome to do the math how much 'help' each family may have gotten for the year...

They do have two homes for respite care in Florida. But they basically use that for their PR campaign for fundraising tactics

The organizations policy is they will only send you money if you send them first a testimonial stating how wonderful this organization is.... they tell the families this is required by the IRS.

Unbelievable organization! Providing financial and emotional support . Offers full family trips to key west to help rejuvenate out children's lungs in a beautiful fully stocked , fully sponsored accommodations , and more. Support groups and networking opportunities with other moms dealing with similar challenges . I am forever grateful to rabbi Walkenfeld and team for your support and encouragement in difficult times .

This organization does not follow the cross contamination guidelines recommended. They have purchased two homes in the Florida Keys and put patients lives at risk by providing it as a respite but not taking the proper precautions for patients. They bring in a half $1 million a year and help patients with approximately $23,000 a year.