OUR MISSION
Children of Bellevue (CoB) is a non-profit organization founded in 1949 to initiate, fund, and develop programs that improve the health and well-being of children at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
We are advocates for pediatric patients and their families and are dedicated to alleviating the pain, loneliness, and fear that can accompany childhood hospitalization. We also seek to enhance early development and school-readiness in children at-risk of falling behind due to family poverty. All of our life-changing programs are made possible solely through philanthropic donations.
OUR HISTORY
Children of Bellevue’s history of providing compassionate care to the hospital’s youngest patients began many years ago with a washing machine.
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In 1949, all of the children at Bellevue Hospitals were required to wear the same plain gown as tracking personal clothing items was deemed too problematic for the hospital’s centralized laundry facility. Believing that wearing their own pajamas would boost the children’s morale, a group of female volunteers who frequented the wards raised funds to install a washing machine specifically for these items. Fueled by the success of their first project, the women soon sought other ways to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children of Bellevue Hospital, eventually founding our organization.
The lasting use of a phrase coined at Bellevue – “tender love and care” (or “TLC”) – stands as a testament to the success of those early volunteers. What began as a concerted effort to deliver companionship, support, and smiles to the pediatric patients of Bellevue Hospital has since evolved into a professional organization on the front lines of pediatric care – developing, funding, and delivering world-class therapeutic programs, innovative services, and thought-provoking research in support of children nationwide. |