Bee A Blessing Donates $10,000 to The Children's Organ Transplant Association

Donation made in honor of 6-month old Royalty Jackson

Bee A Blessing continued its ongoing relationship with The Children’s Organ Transplant Association of Bloomington, Indiana by donating $10,000 in honor of 6-month old Royalty Jackson of Trenton, NJ.

Diagnosed with Microvillus Inclusion Disorder, Royalty is currently hospitalized at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ as she awaits a liver, bowel and pancreas transplant.

We will continue to keep you updated on Royalty’s progress and thank you all for your continued support.

Bee A Blessing Donates $10,000 to Gift of Life Family House

On Saturday, October 27th, a cooking crew from Bee A Blessing prepared brunch for transplant patients and their families who were staying at the Gift of Life Family House in Philadelphia. While there, we presented a $10,000 check to Family House Board Member Bill Soloway, which was part of the proceeds of our Friends for Life fundraiser in September. This donation will be applied to the Family House’s Adopt A Family program, which ensures that no transplant patient or family member will be turned away from staying at the Family House because they can not afford the $40/night lodging fee. Our donation covers 250 nights of lodging! So happy to be able to donate to this truly wonderful facility!

Bee a Blessing presents Gift of Life Family House Board Member Bill Soloway (left) with a check for $10,000.

The Crew!

Friends for Life Raises Nearly $19,000!!!

On September 29th, 180 guests gathered at Paris Caterers in Berlin, NJ for an evening of dinner, music, friendship, and a wonderful basket raffle. Nearly $19,000 was raised for The Children’s Organ Transplant Association and Gift of Life Family House.

Thanks to all who came out to support us, as well as to everyone who donated baskets, gift items, money, and their valuable time to help make Friends for Life a success! Special thanks to our corporate sponsors:

• Dave Baldwin and Jill Shelley

• Buck Construction

• Fulton Bank of New Jersey

• Matt and Karen Lange

• Shore Supply/Bell Supply

• Modern Fasteners

• Keystone Mountain Lakes Regional Council of Carpenters

• UBC Local Union #255

• 5 Star Property Management and Landscaping

• PlayMore Sport and Social Club

• Chris O’Neill and Mary Beth Sherwood

• Universal Supply LBM Holdings

• Lisa and Bob Anderson

• Susan Baldwin

• Ed and Ellen Simek

• John and Shannon Somers

• Vertical Print and Design LLC

And many MANY thanks to DJ Dave for the selfless donation of his time! He set the tone for a fun, happy, and enjoyable night!

FLASH IS HERE!

We are so thrilled to welcome Flash to our Bee A Blessing Family! We’ll be sure to keep you posted on his growth and accomplishments as he begins his training to become a Seeing Eye Dog!

We're Naming a Seeing Eye Puppy!!

Because of your generous donations in the wake of Michael's passing, we are happy to announce we have donated $5,000 to The Seeing Eye of Morristown, NJ.  With this donation comes the opportunity to name a Seeing Eye puppy in memory of Mike.  We think that Mike would be thrilled with this news, as he himself was a 2007 graduate of The Seeing Eye and relied heavily on his beloved guide dog, Misty, for friendship, guidance, and support over the past 11 years. 

Mike's training at The See Eye gave him a tremendous sense of self-reliance and independence, and we hope our donation will help another blind or visually-impaired person gain their independence as well.

"Flash" (the puppy) will hopefully arrive by year-end, and we will update you as soon as we receive any news about him (or her!)  from The Seeing Eye.  Thanks, friends, for your support!  

Michael F. Clendining June 15, 1961 - March 27, 2018

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Michael F. Clendining, Chairman of Bee A Blessing, Inc., and younger brother of Janet Clendining Elliott.  Michael was 56 years old.  Like Janet, Mike was a juvenile diabetic, as well as a double-organ transplant recipient.

Michael leaves behind his Mother, Rosane, his daughter, Danielle, his girlfriend, Rochelle, his sisters Pat, Karen, Linda, Maryellen, Rosemary, Francine, and Joanne, many brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as countless friends, among them his beloved guide dog, Misty.

Throughout his life, Mike battled Juvenile Diabetes and its debilitating side effects, which led to blindness, a kidney/pancreas transplant, and various other serious medical conditions.  Despite these challenges, Michael lived courageously and independently.  In addition to being Chairman of Bee A Blessing, Mike was a talented carpenter and musician, and was a constant source of love, laughter, and inspiration to all who were lucky enough to know him.  

Mike was truly one-of-a-kind, and will be forever missed.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

— Winnie the Pooh

Bee a Blessing Donates $1,000 to Animal Adoption Center of Lindenwold, NJ

Ocean City, NJ -- Bee A Blessing, Inc., a New Jersey-based non-profit, has donated $1,000 to the Animal Adoption Center of Lindenwold, NJ.

Bee A Blessing's Chairman, Michael Clendining, hand delivered the check to the Center, saying "Animal welfare is an important part of our corporate mission, and we are happy to help Animal Adoption Center continue their work of providing food, safety and shelter for numerous cats and dogs while they wait for their permanent homes."  

Bee A Blessing, Inc., a 501 (c) (3)  public charity, was founded to commemorate Clendining's sister, the late Janet Clendining Elliott, by raising money and awareness for causes she valued, including children, animal welfare, and organ and tissue donation.  

For more information, contact Mel Clendining Kuhn at melkuhn92p@gmail.com, or visit Bee A Blessing on the web at www.beeablessingnj.org

NJ-Based Bee a Blessing Donates $10,000.00 to The Children's Organ Transplant Association

Ocean City, NJ -- Bee A Blessing, Inc, a New Jersey-based non-profit corporation, has donated $10,000 to The Children's Organ Transplant Association located in Bloomington, Indiana.

Bee A Blessing's Treasurer, Linda Simek, noted that the donation will be designated specifically to help pay transplant-related medical expenses for Diego Arcila, a 13-year-old kidney transplant recipient from Scotch Plains, NJ.  "Organ donation is a cause we hold very dear to our hearts," Simek stated, "and we are thrilled to be able to help Diego and his family by way of COTA."

Bee A Blessing, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit public charity whose mission is to provide financial assistance to families of local transplant recipients, as well as to local no-kill animal shelters.  Formed to honor the memory of Simek's sister, Janet Clendining Elliott, Bee a Blessing aims to raise money and awareness of causes she valued, including children, animal welfare, and organ and tissue donation.  Elliott, who was a kidney and pancreas recipient, died in 2017.

For more information,or to make a donation, contact Mel Clendining Kuhn at melkuhn92p@gmail.com, or visit www.beeablessingnj.org.

Jingle for Janet 12/12/2017

Bee a Blessing's inaugural fundraiser, Jingle for Janet, was held on 12/12/2017.  Over 250 friends and family gathered at Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford, NJ to sip hot chocolate, visit with Santa Claus, bundle up together on holiday hayrides, and take their chances on winning one of our thirty-three beautiful gift baskets.  It was a happy night, filled with smiles and "tidings of great joy", and we are so very grateful to everyone who participated.  Jan would have been happy-- and humbled --that so many of her friends stopped by...especially her old St. Lawrence buddies and their families!  This joyous event was truly a testament to Jan and the love she inspired. 

We are beyond thrilled with the outpouring of support we have received so far, and our initial fundraising efforts have wildly exceeded our expectations!  Thanks to all of our family, friends and corporate sponsors for their generous donations of money, gift baskets and time! 

So many friends stopped by to Jingle for Janet!

Steve, Mike and Emcee Ryan picked the lucky winners!

So many friends ... so many baskets!

Karen showing off the beautiful bracelets made by her, Mom, Linda, Francine, Ro, Kaylee, Kevin, Benjamin Danger and cousin Debby ... just like Jan used to make!

Thank you everyone for your support!