Help Prevent Child Abuse

For more information, please visit: www.in-n-out.com/foundation


Since 1984, In-N-Out Burger has been helping abused and neglected children. It is our way of giving something back to the communities where we live and do business. More importantly, it is a way of giving victims of abuse something they might not have...hope!

The In-N-Out Burger Foundation (the “Foundation”) was established in March 1995 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Foundation’s purpose is to assist children who have been victims of child abuse, and to prevent others from suffering a similar fate. The Foundation supports organizations that provide residential treatment, emergency shelter, foster care, and early intervention for children in need.

The Foundation is supported primarily through donor contributions and internal fundraising activities sponsored by In-N-Out Burger. In addition, In-N-Out Burger pays all costs associated with the Foundation, so that every penny raised goes directly to help abused and neglected children!

Donate clothing

Losing weight because of your New Year's Resolution? Are your kids growing out of their clothes? There are shelters & orphanages who are more than happy to take them!!! Donate them! Not only are you Helping Others, but you get a tax deduction as well.

CLOTHING DONATION: GET A TAX DEDUCTION FOR CLOTHES THAT DON'T FIT ANYMORE

by Deborah Mitchell

Clothing donations are needed by many of the 600,000 homeless families in the United States. But the need doesn't end there: more than 28 million children living in low-income families and their parents could also benefit from donated clothes.

Clothing donations to qualified charitable organizations are tax deductible. For tax deduction purposes, The Salvation Army andGoodwill Industries publish guidelines for the valuation of donated items, including clothing and shoes.

Clothing-donation needs include: school clothes, coats and other cold-weather accessories, professional clothing for employment interviews, and shoes, which wear out quickly and must be replaced often, especially among growing children.

Donated clothes are critical for mothers and young children who must flee their homes because of domestic violence or abuse. Often these women and children leave under dangerous circumstances with only the clothes on their backs.

Clothes donations are also especially needed by homeless veterans. Up to 40 percent of homeless adults are veterans, with more joining their ranks from the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars.

Clothing donations should be clean, undamaged, and reasonably wrinkle-free. Clothing can be folded and packed in sturdy boxes or bags; avoid hangers. Items that come in pairs (shoes, gloves, socks) should be kept together (shoe laces can be tied together, gloves and socks can be stuffed inside each other). Pockets should be emptied and any belts should be securely fastened to their appropriate items.

• The Salvation Army, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart will pick up clothing, shoes, and household items from most locations in the United States. If you don't have a lot of items, you may want to ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers if they would like to make a clothing and shoe donation as well. The Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries both have drop-off locations for your clothing donations and other items. Some Big Brother Big Sister facilities accept donated clothing and shoes as well. (Click "find my local agency" to see if the one near you accepts donations.)
• Check with schools and day care centers in your area. Many of these facilities have family centers that collect clothing and shoes for students who are in need.
• If you live or work in an area where you have access to homeless people, you can offer clothing and shoes to them personally.
• Soles4Souls is a nonprofit that collects gently used shoes for children and adults in need.
• If you have clothing suitable for women who have special needs, see Hand-Me-Down Used Clothing for Women.

Your clothing donation can make a big difference in the lives of children and adults in need. For tax purposes, you should keep a list of the clothing you donate. Donation centers usually give you a tax receipt, but if you mail your clothing or shoe donation to a charity, also send a self-addressed, stamped envelope so it can send you a receipt. Shipping costs are tax deductible as well.

Send Card to Hospitalized Child

SEND A GET WELL SOON CARD TO A HOSPITALIZED CHILD

by Abigail Beal

Get Well Soon Cards help hospitalized children feel less isolated and lonely.

When a seriously ill child remains hospitalized for months, family visits can become less frequent, particularly when the child is transferred to a specialized hospital far from the parents' home. These parents may have other children to care for, and jobs they must keep to maintain medical insurance or to pay uncovered medical bills.

As a result, children requiring long-term care may get most of their human contact during routine – and often impersonal – treatment from doctors and nurses. While these professionals help with the child's physical pain, there is usually little time to deal with the emotional pain of isolation, confusion, and homesickness.

Sending Get Well Soon Cards to hospitalized children is a wonderful way to help cheer them. This contact, and message of caring, can be the highlight of a hospitalized child's day.

Light-hearted, humorous cards are well-received. If laughter is indeed the best medicine, then your Get Well Soon Card can be a big help.

• Find a Recipient:

  There are several organizations who feature eager recipients of Get Well Soon Cards:

  • Hugs and Hope
  • Make a Child Smile
  • Post Pals

  Each of these websites provides helpful guidelines for communicating with children receiving long-term hospital care.

• Carefully Review the Child's Biography:
  • Consider the recipient's physical limitations (e.g., do not send musical cards to a deaf child).
  • Discover interests that you might be able to incorporate into your card (e.g., favorite cartoon characters).
• Select a Card:

  Mindful that some chronically ill children may never recover, your card should aim to cheer-up the child without saying "get well soon" directly. Instead, "Thinking of You" and "Friendship" cards convey the spirit of "get well soon" without raising false hope in children who may never get better.

• Craft Your Message:

  Keep your message light and cheerful. Referring to the child's interests will make him or her feel special. Jokes are always fun for children. There are many appropriate children's jokes on Aha Jokes.

  If you don't want to create your own message, you could follow this sample message to enclose in your card:

  Hello (Child's First Name)!

  I just wanted to say hello from [City and State]. I am wishing you a day full of great big smiles and bright blue skies. I would like to share a Knock Knock joke with you:

  Knock Knock
  Who's there?
  Aardvark!
  Aardvark who?
  Aardvark a hundred miles for one of your smiles!

  I hope you thought this was funny; I sure did!

  Have a super day!
  Sincerely yours,
  [First Name Last Name]

• Send Your Card Via USPS Postal Mail:

  All Get Well Soon Cards must be sent through postal mail (usually to P.O. boxes), since none of the children accept Get Well Soon e-Cards.

Note: Most families will not respond to your Get Well Soon Card. While they appreciate your good wishes, most families are simply too busy to respond. Always include your contact information, however, when sending a Get Well Soon Card, so that the child's family knows from whom the card was sent.