The mission of Light of a Thousand Stars is to brighten the lives of women and children facing hardships in our local communities. We provide resources that promote self esteem, develop professional skills and emphasizes core values. We believe everyone gets a chance to shine!

FRIENDS OF KAREN

Friends of Karen is a NY tri-state children’s charity that serves children from birth through age 21 who are diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening illness and provides emotional, financial and advocacy support. Funds raised from the Walk-Run directly benefit families who are assisted by Friends of Karen’s Family Support program which helps provide services by a team of dedicated professionals – social workers, expressive arts therapists, and child life specialists – to bring help to families who turn for assistance and ensure they never have to make the difficult journey alone. Last year, Friends of Karen assisted over 1,500 children and nearly 15,000 since 1979.

Worldnet International learned about Friends of Karen in 2011 when one employee saw hundreds of people wearing team shirts out on the course of the Long Island Marathon. Together, with President Mary Bhullar, they motivated and encouraged employees to sign up for the Walk-Run and for the past six years, employees have trained together for the 10K event, and since then has helped raise awareness and funds to support the children and families of Friends of Karen.

To date, Worldnet has helped raise over $30,000 for the children and families of Friends of Karen. This assistance has helped to meet the extraordinary demands of a child’s illness and helps families cope with day-to-day tasks. $250 will help pay for food, clothing, and transportation to and from medical treatment. $500 will help pay for medical equipment, health insurance, prescriptions and lab fees. $1,000 will help pay rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, and childcare. Sibling support, bereavement support, and financial support for the families are all made possible by the dedication and generosity of organizations like Worldnet.

“The concept of corporate social responsibility helps to promote positive social change and provides a great impact in our communities,” said Nancy Mariano, Regional Director of Friends of Karen. “We are so pleased to have a company like Worldnet, whose team embraces our mission and knows that they are helping to make a difference in the lives of so many families affected by a child’s life-threatening illness.”