WELCOME to Pen Pal Patch
This group brings children ages 4 - 12 years old together from all over the USA and other countries. - Meet our Leaders
- View our BOOK List
...and more...
WELCOME to Pen Pal Patch
This group brings children ages 4 - 12 years old together from all over the USA and other countries.
- Meet our Leaders- View our BOOK List
...and more...
Our kids know just how to have FUN!
Friday - Time Together and Swimming
Saturday - Photo...Fun...and Mall of America
Sunday - A TEEN speaker and a PPP Speaker...and more...
WVD Conference Comments:
(PPP parents, please SHARE - send yours comments of 1 or 2 paragraphs to: vitfriendsorg@gmail.com)
My name is Liniah - PPP Leader:
The WVD conference was a success! It was a great way of meeting people that we have only met virtually online & meeting them for the first time. I think the PPP kids enjoyed themselves by swimming on Friday night, amusement on Saturday that followed with a kids room entertainment & dancing at night.
I think the
most memorable for Elijah was meeting his Pen Pal Isaac for the time. Elijah & Isaac rode all the rides together
& since then they swapped phone numbers (they both have their own
phones) & play video games online together.
It was a nice to get together with the other Moms. It’s a support
group for the mothers/parents with children with Vitiligo. I often tell
my Pen Pal Parents that they need support too & try to connect with
their child’s pen pal parent as well. We all have become friends &
we were all there to support our children & watch them be kids &
no worries or judgement.
The WVD Conference made everlasting friendships from the Parents, our Vitiligo children & their siblings.
Introducing Liniah Saleem our Leader & Manager of our Pen Pal Patch. Thank you Liniah for your contribution to our children and your heart to serve!
Introducing Martine Burnsed our Co-Leader of Pen Pal Patch. Martine also accepted the role as VITFriends Corporate Secretary.
Thank you Martine for your contribution to our children and your heart to serve!
We welcome our PPP kids to school year 2022 - 2023
Be SAFE!
Here's a message from Ava:
We appreciate ALL of the Authors in our Community!
THANK YOU!
We are grateful to the following Authors for reading to our children in 2021
- Lori Mitchell - "Different Just Like Me"
- Kim Kirkland - "Vitiligo Doesn't Scare Me"
- Phyllis Gilmer - "Skin Deep"
- Danielle Wheeler - "I've Got Spots"
- Natassia Cordrey - " The Adventures of Cookie"
- Tiereza & Justin Hall - "Aiden's Spots"
We Honor the Visionary
April Sawyer
PPP Director/Founder
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Pen Pal Patch REPORTS
2020 - 2022
Total of 178 children enrolled
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Here's a GREETING from our own
Vitiligo Grammee Chipmunk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kojmNDgPT3s&feature=youtu.be
We invite your child to be PEN PAL and meet
other children with Vitiligo...
Click here to check out our Pen Pal Patch Facebook page!
Aliya was the inspiration behind Pen Pal Patch. Vitiligo ROCKS!
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PPP Mascot
Click below
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The Genesis of Vitiligo Pen Pal Patch
This children's initiative was launched on June 23, 2017 and is the vision-child of April Sawyer of Massachusetts. April was recently named our NEW Children's Division Director. Within just thirty days, this initiative has enrolled over 60 children globally.
Children's Division Director Statement:
As a parent of a child with vitiligo, I've seen first-hand how different kids can be once they start to realize that not all kids have spots like they do. While there are a lot of resources online for people living with vitiligo, it's hard to find any that are geared towards children. At Pen Pal Patch, we acknowledge the need for children with vitiligo, like my 7 year old Aliya, to have connections with other people just like them; with other children from around the world who understand the trials, questions, struggles, and specialness of their lives. We couldn't think of a better way to get the kids connected than creating a group of pen pals!
What is Vitiligo Pen Pal Patch? Pen Pal Patch is a program for children between the ages of 3 and 14 years old and MUST have parental permission and participation. Since its inception, we have matched children with a pen pal close to their age who they can share letters, photos and stories with. Our hope is to create life-long friendships and bonds that will be there when these kids need a person to celebrate their successes with or a shoulder to lean on.
We have created a PRIVATE facebook group for all the kids to get to know each other, so besides just having their matched pal, they'll have many new friends! While our main goal is to create friendships, our top priority is the children?s safety. The group is secret and the only members who will be accepted are parents of kids with vitiligo. Along with pen pals we have also created a BIG VIT/Lil VIT program. This is for kids 3-5 years of age that can be paired with other children over the age of 10 who can provide guidance and share their experience to children along their vitiligo journey.
Our Children?s Director will remain very active in this group and monitor interactions closely! April says: ?The days of our kids living alone and sheltered are over. Our kids with vitiligo finally have asafe place to bond with people who understand and support them the most.?
If you have any questions about the program, please contant our Children's Director, Miss April Sawyer at:
penpalpatch@gmail.com - or - 1-844-374-3639
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2018
REMEMBER
Your child with Vitiligo can attend summer CAMP
..... It is FREE .....
Sponsored by: American Academy of Dermatology
https://www.aad.org/public/kids/camp-discovery
What is it that you WONDER about?
Introducing WONDEROPOLIS a website that both children and parents can use to ask a question or simply explore. It is a place where you can post a WONDER and get a response.
On September 15, 2016, here's VITFriends Presidents Wonder: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/can-a-person-change-skin-colors
Our BOOK Project is supported by the following:
History 2019:
From the beginning of the VISION in 2019, Yan Valle, CEO Vitiligo Research Foundation, has helped us launch our Book Project,
THANK You!
History 2022:
For our Book Project, we are PROUD to announce the support of Incyte.
THANK You!
READING PROJECT:
Congratulations to Alicia Rouf, VITFriends Marketing Director - Minnesota, who has read to our children weekly LIVE on facebook (Wednesday/Friday) during the early quarantined period.
VITFriends mission is to do ALL that we can do for our community and in this case for our VIT Kids.
Thank you Alicia from all of us! https://www.facebook.com/minnesotavitfriends/videos/222359122516459/
**Also, THANK You to everyone who have read so far: https://www.vitfriends.org/read-across-america
RELAX with a book from our BOOK LIST:
See our list of books that are appropriate to address the issues children face with Vitiligo or any other condition. Visit your local library or purchase these books for your children.
Visit our Web STORE or use Amazon and they will give us a donation for your purchase,
Thank you!
SHOP: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/80-0618761
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For your children's reading enjoyment and as they
returns to school, here's our Presidents
list of a books to read with your children...
" The Key to Being Happy."
Saniyah goes to the zoo by Scott and Saniyah Dawson
Dinosaur Farm: A Vitiligo Story that is Not about Vitiligo
by Kristen Silva
VITILIGO Doesn't Scare Me, by Kim Kirkland
Snow White, by Jewel Kats
Skin Deep, by Phyllis Gilmore
See the Special 3 BOOK DEAL on AmazonSmile
Click here to order your copy
Teens - "Me without You!" by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar. There are a million ways of saying 'I love you and life just isn't the same without you', but none quite like this!
Elementary - Children's author - Todd Parr. This book delivers the messages of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format.
Elementary - Children's author - Lori Mitchell -(Her daughter April Mitchell has Vitiligo)April wonders why and how people are different from her and learns how they are also very much alike.
ALL Ages - Children's author - Michaela DePrince - who has Vitiligo) She was living in an orphanage in Sierra Leone, but was adopted by a family and brought to America. Michaela had a dream of becoming a ballerina
Elementary - Children's author - The Cheltenham Elementary School. This book celebrates the multitude of differences in our society -- at a time when understanding tolerance and diversity have never been more important.
Elmer is the story of a PATCHWORK elephant who believed the other animals were laughing at him because of his crazy patchwork coat. This is a great read for very young children.
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