I first became involved with SKIP in the summer of 2007. I answered an email that I received from Boardnet.com looking for Junior Board (JAB) members. I had been looking to join a non profit but with no experience being on board SKIP was the perfect opportunity since they were looking to start a junior board basically to infuse new blood into the organization. This organization is first class from the top. The Executive Director is Margaret Mikol who started SKIP twenty-five years ago because of a need that she had with one of her children. Her child was sick and had to live in the hospital because of life support and other care that would not allow that child to live at home. Margaret had other ideas and fought to take her child home to give her some semblence of normalcy and live her life in a caring home. It took almost two years to accomplish but Margaret was finally able to take her child home and this was how SKIP was born. Since then SKIP has grown to help families with children that have special needs and is an advocate for families that need or are entitled to social services. SKIP helps these families get what they need and lets the parents of these children concentrate on the care of the child without haveing to deal with all of the red tape involved in getting the services they need. Since the Junior Board was formed we have raised money to help other families who cannot afford medical equipment that is not covered buy insurance. We have handed out turkey's to families that could not afford to have a traditional turkey dinner. We have also given families tickets to a Halloween event held at the Staten Island Zoo last October. The JAB works closely with the Executive administrator Sandy Sbar who is solely responsible for the formation and guidance of the JAB and if it were not for her SKIP would have not been able to get the JAB started. SKIP has a dedicated staff of social workers who work long and hard for the families that they serve and should be lauded for the work that they do. SKIP does not get the publicity of some other big non profits do but it's work is no less important and this is an organization that deserves notoriety and should be honored for the work that they do.
1,398 Pageviews Read Stories
- EIN 13-3236869
- 212-268-5999
- 213 West 35th St 11th Fl New York NY 10001 USA
- www.skipofNY.org
- Add to Favorites
Promote This Nonprofit
Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations, Developmentally Disabled Centers, Disabilities, Health, Human Services
Mission: To provide advocacy and support by accessing the necessary services for families who care for their chronically ill, medically fragile or developmentally disabled children at home.
Results: The founder’s efforts on behalf of sick and disabled children ignited the interest of the U.S. Surgeon General who held a major national conference that highlighted the plight of the many families and children caught in the web of institutional placement. Systemic changes came about and the medical, social and financial communities began to appreciate the benefits of home care for sick and developmentally disabled children, thus, many programs began to evolve. Families gravitated to SKIP because the founding principles are based on a real family’s experience. In 1986, for its child advocacy work SKIP of New York was awarded a Federal Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) grant through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) - Federal Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, the first such award to a grassroots consumer organization. Granted for a three-year period, the project extended for an additional year due to many achievements. In response to what was recognized nationally as a significant success, The New York State Department of Social Services (NYS DSS) in 1989 approached SKIP of New York to form the first partnership between a parent-run, community-based organization and the government. This transformed the agency from that of a state advisor into one contracted to provide services under state-operated programs. In addition, SKIP was the driving force behind the New York State legislation that created the Medicaid Model Waiver. For over 25 years, SKIP has worked closely with key New York State agencies in the design and implementation of all the major programs targeted to serve children with special health care needs. ABOUT SKIP Although SKIP does no outreach, new families come to the agency at a rate of 50 each month. SKIP is now serving over 3,500 children. Referrals come from hospitals, insurers, legislators, state agencies, school districts, home care providers, physicians, and parents who have learned firsthand that they can depend on SKIP. Over the years, SKIP of New York has impacted positively and − often immeasurably − the lives of over 10,000 children and their families.
Target demographics: SKIP of New York provides services throughout New York State. SKIP’s main office is in Manhattan with satellite offices in Rochester and Buffalo. 70% of SKIP of New York’s clients are located in the New York City metropolitan area (five boroughs). Who SKIP serves: The list of diagnoses for the children SKIP serves is eight pages long, and every diagnosis and family situation is different. Diagnoses include cerebral palsy, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, mental retardation, traumatic brain injury, congenital heart defects, HIV/AIDS, sickle-cell anemia, cancer, autism, among many others.
Direct beneficiaries per year: 3,500 medically fragile, chronically ill and developmentally disabled children throughout New York State.
Geographic areas served: New York State
Programs: Care at Home, Medicaid Service Coordination, Family Support, Family Education and Training, Residential Habilitation, Respite, Plan of Care, Environmental Modifications and Assistance Technology, the Julia Fund (to care for children without funding resources).