You scream! I scream! We all scream for Ashley’s almost-sleepover ice cream!
--Ashley's Ice Cream and Connecticut's almost-sleepover girls celebrate National Ice Cream month with a create-a-flavor contest to benefit 5 local charities--
June 20, 2011 (Guilford, Conn.)—To celebrate National Ice Cream Month, the United States of Community Service (USCS) has teamed up with Ashley’s Ice Cream for a “very cool” contest to shine the spotlight on kid-centered charities in five Connecticut towns and choose an official ice cream flavor for this year's nationwide USCS Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover.
The Scoop!
Now through June 26, kids (ages 5 through 13) nationwide can submit their ideas for a new ice cream flavor at any of Ashley’s five locations in Branford, Guilford, Madison, Hamden and New Haven or online at www.uscsnow.org. The winning flavor will become the official flavor of the national USCS Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover and will be served at all five Ashley's Ice Cream locations during the month of July, National Ice Cream Month.
From July 1 to 14, folks can taste-test the top two flavors (as chosen by Ashley’s) and vote for their favorite at any of Ashley’s five Connecticut locations. For the month of July, proceeds from the sale of Ashley’s USCS Almost-Sleepover ice cream flavor will benefit local charities in each of Ashley's locations:
- The Children's Place at Connecticut Hospice (Branford)
- Guilford Library's Children's Room Adopt-a-Book Program (Guilford)
- Life Haven (New Haven)
- The Children's Center of Hamden (Hamden)
- Ucan2's LifeStraw project (Madison)
Donation jars will also be available at each location for those who’d like to support these worthy, kid-centered charities.
The winning flavor will be announced at a press conference in Guilford on July 17 (National Ice Cream Day), and the winner will receive a $25 Ashley's gift certificate.
“We’re big believers in the power of community, said Ashley’s owner Joe Ametrano. “We’re excited to work with these community service-minded kids and to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the folks who are served by each of these kid-centered organizations.”
“Ashley’s is the best ice cream ever and I think it’s great that they’re working with us to help these charities,” said 9-year-old Delaney Kenney, co-founder of the USCS Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover.
“I’m excited that Ashley’s is working with us to make a difference,” agreed 8-year-old co-founder Addie Kenney. “Their ice cream is awesome!”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Ashley’s—Connecticut’s BEST ice cream—on this create-a-flavor contest,” said mom Laurie Kenney. “It’s the perfect combination of kids, community, charity…and ice cream!”
Ashley’s Ice Cream
From the beginning Ashley’s goal has been to make the best ice cream possible, and they continue to do that today over 30 years later! Ashley's never uses any artificial colors or flavors. All natural, fresh ingredients lead to naturally the best ice cream.
Ashley’s Ice Cream was founded in 1979. Being avid frisbee players, they became enamored with Ashley Whippet- the famous frisbee catching dog. So the Ashley's name was born, and their walls have been decorated with hundreds of frisbees they've collected ever since. Ashley’s Ice Cream originated in New Haven in 1979 on College Street, just steps away from the dormitories of Yale University. It didn’t take long for the crowds, accolades, and awards to start filling the store; so much so that a second Ashley’s opened on the other side of campus on York Street, where they still are today! Ashley’s has been in nearby Hamden since 1983, and shops in Guilford, Branford, and Madison subsequently followed, bringing the total to 5 locations. Find out more at www.ashleysicecream.net.
The United States of Community Service Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover
The Connecticut-grown, kid-powered National Make a Difference Day Award-winning community service-centered United States of Community Service Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover will take place on Saturday, October 22, 2011, when kids from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. hold simultaneous almost-sleepover celebrations to perform community service and make a difference nationwide. So far, kids in 27 states have signed on to make a difference that day! For the latest info or to register your own almost-sleepover event, visit www.uscsnow.org.
Built on Guilford sisters 9-year-old Delaney and 8-year-old Addie Kenney’s national award-winning local almost-sleepover community service project, and with the help of founding friends Willow and Rosalie Coleman, Sophie Marnin, Marlah Hohlfelder and Isabel Kessler, this kid-powered community service event is the first project from The United States of Community Service, Inc. (USCS) an organization (501c3 nonprofit status pending) dedicated to empowering children to make a difference in their communities, their nation and the world by providing opportunities for children to get involved in community service and working with and supporting the efforts of other child-centered nonprofit organizations. Find out more at www.uscsnow.org.
The Children's Place at The Connecticut Hospice
The saddest thing about terminal illness is that it can strike children. Even harder to handle is the inability of family and friends to know what is best in the way of care and caring for the child. There is a way to ease this suffering and the confusion that can go with it. A way to deal with all the issues parents of terminally ill children face on a daily basis is offered by The Children’s Place at Connecticut Hospice.
The Children’s Place at Connecticut Hospice is designed to provide the necessary components of child and family care, including counseling to those who are in need. With many years of experience in caring for children with advanced irreversible illnesses, The Children’s Place at Connecticut Hospice stands ready to provide a program of comprehensive care around-the-clock through home care and inpatient center care.
For more information, contact Linda Laucella, manager of the development office, at 203/315-7500 or llaucella@hospice.com, or visit Connecticut Hospice at www.hospice.com.
Life Haven
Life Haven is a temporary shelter providing a safe and nurturing environment for homeless pregnant women and women with young children. Life Haven is committed to helping these women develop the skills they need to live independently.
Life Haven serves 20 families at a time. Over 150 families are sheltered annually, including 250 children. Almost 90 percent of the families entering Life Haven move out into permanent housing in the community. Life Haven’s goal is to end homelessness, one family at a time.
Life Haven is the only shelter in the state with licensed, on-site childcare. Life Haven's Childcare Center provides a safe, consistent and stimulating environment for the children while their mothers work to build healthy lives for their families. Currently, the center is equipped to serve 20 homeless children. Life Haven’s childcare program is specifically designed to meet the needs of homeless children. Each child is assessed and their care plan may include anger management, self-esteem, and health and safety education.
For more information, call Liz Hilton, interim executive director, at 203/776-6208 or visit www.lifehaven.org.
Guilford Free Library Children’s Room Adopt-a-Book Program
The Guilford Free Library is asking for your help to support the library children’s room collection. An “Adopt-a-Book” program has been started seeking monetary donations to help with the purchase of new children’s books. These gifts can be made in honor of families, birthdays, other celebrations and more. Bookplates will be placed in the books and the donors can be the first to check the titles out!
Donations can be for children’s picture books, board books, fiction, animal, science, dinosaurs, math, history, poetry, biographies, folk tales, mythology, and so on. Please ask the children’s staff for help with suggestions. Cash, check or credit cards are welcome. The library staff thank you in advance for your consideration of this new program!
For more information, contact Suellen Heinrich, children’s librarian, at 203/453-8282 or sheinrich@guilfordfreelibrary.org, or visit the library’s website at www.guilfordfreelibrary.org.
The Children’s Center of Hamden
The Children’s Center of Hamden, Inc. is dedicated to providing quality treatment and education in a safe, nurturing environment for children and families. The children served by the center struggle with serious emotional, behavioral, psychological and social problems. On a daily average over 170 children and families receive services through at least one of the center’s programs.
In April of 1999, The Children’s Center of Hamden opened Connecticut’s first “Safe Home,” designed to provide assessment services for young children who have been removed from their homes for a variety of reasons, generally related to the child’s safety.
Kids Cottage serves no more than 13 children at a time and can accommodate groups of siblings so they are not separated from each other during what might be considered a tumultuous time. The program provides a psychosocial assessment of each child to aid in planning for placement should home not be an option. Lengths of stay range from a couple of days up to 45 days.
For more information about Kid’s Cottage and other programs at The Children’s Center of Hamden, contact Diane Surprenant, director of personnel and development, at 203/248-2116 or dbsurprenant@tccoh.org, or visit www.childrenscenterhamden.org.
LifeStraw® Project
What is a LifeStraw®? LifeStraw is a portable drinking filter that people wear on a string around their necks that enables them to drink from contaminated water sources. Each LifeStraw lasts for a year and costs about $5. All of the money collected by the LifeStraw Project is sent on to the 1090 Foundation of the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale, FL. The rotary club is partnered with LifeStraw’s manufacturer as the only distributer in this country. LifeStraws are currently being sent to Haiti, where the need is greatest.
How does LifeStraw save lives? 6,000 people die every day from water-related diseases, most of them children. That is the fact that inspired Brett Leckey, a fourth-grader at Jeffrey School in Madison, Connecticut, to start this fundraiser just last year. Since then, Brett has raised enough money to buy 2,000 LifeStraws for people in need.
The LifeStraw Project is run by Ucan2, a non-profit organization (501c3 status pending) whose mission is to educate students on health and welfare issues in the world, inspire others to join, and provide guidance and support for them to act. For more information, call Kathy Leckey at 203/627-2686 or visit www.Ucan2.org.
